Back to where we started
by behindthesehazeleyes1990
Summary: Rose's life was changing at every turn, and not for the better. Dimitri was so ate up with guilt from his time as a Strigoi, he couldn't bare to look at her. When he utters the words that break Rose she finds she can't even turn to her best friend. Will these two be able to come together again, or will it all end in tragedy?
1. Chapter One

**_Chapter One_**

" Liss I'm not in the mood, please don't start with me!"

I could feel her anger radiating off of her but I was already so close to crying. I just didn't think I could take it right now. Dimitri didn't love me. Apparently his love had faded. ' I've given up on you...love fades...mine has' that's what he'd said to me.

" We need to talk about this Rose. I asked, no I told you to leave him alone."

"Yeah I know Liss I fucked up." But he wasn't so fragile in there that he couldn't break my heart. He had handled himself just fine I thought to myself.

" What would Adrian think if he knew you were chasing Dimitri down and terrorizing him?"

Was she threatening to tell on me? Was this really my best friend? The person I'd grown up with, and swore to protect! The whole reason for everything leading up to this moment was for me to have Dimitri back. I knew it was wrong what I was doing to Adrian. But Dimitri was my life I couldn't help it. Everything was falling apart, right down to my friend ship with Lissa.

" I guess I would understand!"

Lissa and I both turned toward the voice. There stood Adrian Ivashkov himself. Damn it! He looked hurt, but I could also see he did understand. Lissa threw her hands up knowing her threat was dead now. But she came up with a new one. One that held no weight for me right now.

" We're not done with this Rose."

And she walked off. I watched her go. She had been mad at me before, but she was never really mean about it. Once she rounded the corner I looked at Adrian again.

" Would you like to come in because I can not deal with one more person telling me off in public today."

I turned and walked the rest of the way to my room letting Adrian and myself inside. I sat down in the chair by the desk removing the heals I'd worn to church. I watched as Adrian looked around my small space. The room I had been given had a small closet, a full size bed, a desk and chair, and a small bathroom. It was like a slap in the face, you know thanks for dying for us here's a bathroom to go with your hole in the wall. i was on edge now as Adrian remained silent.

" Please say something Adrian! Yell at me anything, I don't care." my voice cracked at the end.

" I knew you still loved him, when you got back from Russia you were half a thread from falling apart. I'm not mad Rose you promised you would try and you did." He sat down on the edge of the bed in front of me. " I do love you Rose, but I know when to quit. Here is where that happens. But don't worry little dhampir I'm not going anywhere. You're like my best friend."

I couldn't help but smile. Sure I'd lost Dimitri again, Lissa and Eddie were mad at me, but I wouldn't lose Adrian too.

There was a rough knock on the door so I went to answer it. A Guardian stood there looking bored.

" Guardian Croft would like to see you immediately."

He didn't wait for a reply, not that anyone would say no to that. Adrian said he had to go see his great Aunt anyway. She wanted to explain the importance of that death party again. Really I think they just used the time to gossip like little girls. I put my heals back on in hopes Croft would let me have the day off if I looked like a good church going girl. I'd had enough of garden duty this week.

The walk to Guardian headquarters didn't take me that long. It was afternoon but being Sunday there weren't that many Guardians here. I told the female Guardian at the front desk that Guardian Croft had sent for me. She told me to wait and went to go get him. After a few moments she returned.

" He said just go back to his office, you know where that is!"

That was a dig at me I'm sure but it really didn't bother me. I smiled at her and made my way to his office knocking on the door when I got there. He told me to come in and have seat.

" Let's just get straight to the point. I'm putting you on permanent desk duty for the foreseeable future."

He sure as hell didn't beat around the bush, and I could only find one word to respond to his statement.

" What?"

" The council thinks with your actions as of late and your mouth and temper that it would be unsafe to put you in a position to guard anyone right now."

" Is that the Guardian council or the Moroi?" I already knew the answer because Guardian Croft looked like he didn't want to be doing this at all.

" You know what don't answer that I already know. I am as dedicated to their safety as much as every other dhampir. I've killed more Strigoi than most senior guardians. They can not seriously want me on a desk sorting through papers!"

He looked down at his desk and I knew my fate was sealed. No amount of pleading, arguing, or any of my achievements would help me now.

" We can revisit the situation in a few months time. Don't lose hope, I know how much of an asset you are here."

That was comforting but didn't change the fact that the Moroi would never let me off of that desk. With nothing more to say besides I'm sorry, I was dismissed. I wandered down the hall back to where he receptionist was. I prayed she didn't say anything because I might go off and I didn't need one more reason for the Moroi council to hold against me.

Thankfully she wasn't at her post and I walked out if the building with some of my pride still intact. On the back way to my room I wondered if they would keep me there or if I would move to a more permanent residence. What did it even matter anyway? My life was falling apart at every turn and I was worried about a room!

Walking down the hallway I noticed Eddie was pacing in front of my door. He hadn't spoken to me since our return from Vegas, and I hadn't seen him since we had garden duty the day the council hauled me in for their new fucked up age law. Sending a bunch of sixteen year old dhampir out to fight and protect the Moroi was a stupid idea. It was also my accomplishments that they just condemned me for that made their final decision.

" Can we talk? Inside please?"

Eddie said as soon as I approached my door. I nodded and let us both inside. As soon as I shut the door Eddie lost it.

" Guardian Croft called me into his office earlier this morning. He informed me that the Moroi council has decided with getting captured by Strigoi twice I'm not fit to guard anyone. My final grades and average for my trials don't even matter."

He turned around and punched the wall leaving a good size hole there.

" My whole life training has been for nothing."

He said as he slumped down to the floor. So I told him about my meeting with Croft. When I was finished he just stared at me.

" What are we going to do? I mean you're the best I have ever seen and they can't see past an image they want."

What could we do? If the council says jump we're supposed to say how high. If they put us on desk duty we're supposed to be grateful. Why? Because without the Moroi our race would be finished and then the Strigoi win for sure. But we aren't treated well. We are just lowly dhampir with one job, protect and obey the Moroi. I was done with that. I suddenly knew what we could do.

" I have a plan, just give me an hour and then I'll come find you."

He looked skeptical but in the end his curiosity for whatever I was planning won out. He left and just as I was about to make my first phone call, Lissa shouted at me through the bond. It was like she was in front of me yelling and only I could hear her.

' Did you seriously go and get thrown on desk duty? You were supposed to be my guardian. I'm leaving for college in the fall and now they have to find me two new guardians. I saved you in that accident and for what?"

That really was the final push I needed to leave this whole place behind. I made my call.

" Abe I need your help."

I explained everything to him. What had happened between Dimitri and I. Lissa and I, and mine and Eddie's new jobs. He was silent for a long time and when he did speak again he said he'd call me back. So now I just had to wait.

I laid back on my bed and was trying to relax from the events of today when I got pulled into Lissa's head.

" I can't believe her. I mean I tell her to leave Dimitri alone, she doesn't. She was supposed to protect me, now she's on a desk. I just need to cut ties. She will end up making me look like a fool."

She was talking to Christian and Tasha. Dmitri was standing in the corner looking out the window as it was getting closer to sunrise.

" Hun you know she's had a really bad few months. She's in love with Belikov, isn't that what started this whole thing? The reason he is now standing here."

She started thinking he was absolutely right when Tasha spoke up.

" No he is standing here thanks to the two of you. And Rose needs to understand she is just a child, with a bad temper. Dimka doesn't want or need someone like that dragging him down. The girl brought all of this on herself."

I pulled out not wanting to hear anymore. Who would have thought Christian freaking Ozera would be the one to take my side.

Finally my father called back.

" Pavel is on his way in my plane to get you, Castile, and your mother. He was already on his way as your mother's charge is at court and she was coming to spend time with me. I called her and she is very unhappy with the way you and Castile have been treated.

Oh I'm sure she was. I have a feeling I'll be begging for ghosts and the migraine that comes with them by the time she is done with me. This plane ride would be the longest one of my life.

" Just get yourselves ready and meet your mother in an hour at the garage. We'll discuss details when you arrive and are settled."

With that he hung up and I called Eddie with the plan.

* * *

" Hi Mom!"

" Rosemarie!"

She wasn't hateful about it, but I knew she had something to say so I told her to just get it over with.

" They shouldn't be treating you this way. Either of you. You spent two years keeping the Princess safe, you come back and were ahead of your classmates within a month. You have so many kills under your belt. And Guardian Castile, getting taken was not his fault."

She said all of this as she man handled our stuff into the trunk of the car we were taking.

" And Belikov..Oh where does he get off treating you this way?" She turned and faced me.

" Don't think I don't know what you did for him. That wasn't just a fun weekend in Vegas. Your father told me about Victor Dashkov's brother."

Seriously? Why would he do that? I couldn't believe this.

" Don't look at me like that. I'm not turning you in, he has left a messy trail and they're closing in on it. I do know what it's like to be in love."

Who in the actual hell was this woman? She ushered us into the car and soon we were leaving Court behind us. When we had gone a few miles down the road my mother pulled over.

" What in the hell were you thinking breaking that man out of prison? You're lucky no one would ever think it was you."

Ah and here she is folks, my real mother. She pulled back out onto the road and the whole way to the hanger where we were supposed to meet Pavel, I got the biggest earful of my life. I don't know what that had been back there at Court, but she probably really didn't want me thrown under the bus, or in jail so she couldn't yell at me back there.


	2. Chapter Two

**_Chapter Two_**

**_Three months later _**

" I'm so sorry Luka." I said apologizing for the fourth time.

Luka was one of my fathers guardians and I had just broken his nose in a fit of darkness induced rage. I could see Keaton and Pavel trying to covertly limp away, Dimitri had been able to handle my first run in with the darkness alone. It had taken my mom, Eddie, Luka, Keaton, and Pavel to hold me down as Adrian put some Spirit into a ring and shove it onto my finger as quickly as he could.

Thinking about Dimitri brought on the heartache I tried so hard to pretend was not there. Honestly though I couldn't go a day without something making me think of him. And I always started crying it was no different this time, though this time seemed to be harder. He had helped me the last time this had happened. Just him, no silver or charms. His love for me brought me out of it. The tears were coming in earnest now and I couldn't stop them.

" Ah no need to cry princess it will heal." Luka said holding a napkin to his nose to staunch the bleeding.

I gave Luka a dirty look but then began to laugh. It was empty sounding but it took my mind off of my original thoughts momentarily. Christian who was standing behind Adrian looking freaked stepped forward.

" What in the hell was that?"

My mom and Baba I could tell were wondering the same thing as they nodded their heads with wide eyes. All anyone knew was we were having a nice breakfast and then Adrian got a funny look on his face the same time I felt her. In seconds he was up yelling for someone to grab me and that he needed a piece of real silver jewelry. I was trying to fight everyone off, all I could feel was anger and hatred.

" That was Liss.." I said still trying to regain my bearings.

" Explain Rosemarie!"

My mother guys the queen of no bullshit.

" She has been trying to get to me through our bond. She started off by apologizing, but since I haven't called her or returned to court she has been blaming me for her parents being dead. She thinks she should have saved them instead of me. I've been ignoring it. But she knows Adrian and Christian are here right now and she is even more pissed. So to answer your question that was Lissa taking all of her anger and spirit induced darkness and shoving it through our bond."

Everyone aside from Adrian was staring eyes wide mouths open. They didn't know about darkness or how it could affect one person.

" What would have happened if she'd done that and we weren't here?"

Christian asked the question I saw on my mom, dad, Eddie, and Luka's faces. The one they wouldn't like the answer to, I know this because I don't like it either.

" You all would be visiting me in a padded room."

I deadpanned. I wouldn't sugarcoat it for anyone. And as far as I was concerned that was the last straw for me and Vasilisa Dragomir. She had deliberately gathered all that darkness and mentally shoved as hard as she could.

Abe stood up so fast you would have thought he'd been a Strigoi. I could see the rage in his eyes. He opened his mouth nut then closed it with an audible snap, and left the room. My mother looked after him but decided against following him. Instead she turned back to me.

" How many times?"

I knew what she meant, how many times had I been through that. Dimitri's worried eyes flashed through my mind. Him telling me he would always be there for me. He would always bring me back. I felt the tears prickle again and I tried to blink them back as I answered her question.

" Only once before this. The night the academy was attacked. That had been an accident though. We hadn't known about the darkness being able to do that." she nodded and I knew she wasn't done with her questions.

" And did Adrian help you then? Is this how he knew what to do?"

I looked away from them all. The love in his eyes as I came back to myself. The love we'd made in the wake of it all. It had been perfect.

" No we didn't know about charms until I'd met Oksana in Baia."

My voice was thick with unshed tears. After all he has promised, never leaving me to deal with it all alone. He was turned shortly after. And after all that I went through to ensure he was a dhampir again, he had broken all those promises by telling me his love had faded and he'd given up on us. On me. And as I told my mother the final piece to my story the tears fell from my eyes and my heart broke again.

" Dimitri did. He helped me come out of it."

I stood from my chair and ran before anyone could utter a word. I ran past Keaton, Pavel, and my father right out the back door. I found myself in the garden. I just fell to the ground and let the past seven months worth of heart break pour from every part of my soul. I had loved him unconditionally, hell I still did. That would never change, there would never be anyone for me. Only him even if it was only memories. I'd lost him in those caves, I'd thought I had killed him on that bridge, and the worst one was losing him the way I did in that church.

I hadn't been out here long when I saw my mother walking towards me. She knelt down in front of me. I noticed even sitting down I was taller then her, but I felt small in this moment. She pulled me to her tightly as a fresh round of tears began their assault on me. I was wrecked, damaged internally from this, Croft and the council had been right to assign me to a desk. Who could i guard acting like this! After a few minutes she pulled back and cupped my cheek like i was a child again.

" Come on nighean your Baba has a plan to make sure Vasilisa can not do that again."

She had used the Gaelic term for daughter, I hadn't heard it since I was very little. It made me smile. She helped me stand up and we went to hear this great plan.

* * *

Nine hours later we were driving out of Novosibirsk. It was dark and we probably should have waited for morning, but my father was so angry no one could talk him out of it. We had me, mom, Eddie, Keaton, and Luka to protect Baba, Adrian, and Christian. Pavel was a little more hurt than he wanted to let on after my assault and Baba had told him to stay and manage business. Christian had his fire also so Baba thought we would be okay.

We were right outside of Baia, I knew Olena's home was maybe ten minutes from here, when we saw a tree down across the road. We were all on edge now, and that's when I felt them.

" Strigoi!" I yelled from the back seat. Keaton slammed on the breaks stopping right before the downed tree. Mom, Luka, and I jumped from the SUV. Keaton, Eddie, and Christian stayed to protect Baba and Adrian.

There were four of them and three wasted no time in attacking. In mere seconds my mother had taken her first attacker down leaving only three. One for each of us. The fourth Strigoi a female jumped at my mother emitiing a feral growl as she looked at the now dead male. We were trying to keep them pushed back away from the vehicle. We had the Queens favorite nephew with us for god's sake.

I was striking out at my opponent when I saw my mother crumple to the ground. My father yelled for her as Eddie jumped from the vehicle and engaged her Strigoi. Christian torched the females head and Eddie made the kill going to help my mother up. I on the other hand had taken my eyes off of my fight a second to long. Something i knew had been stupid.

I saw it coming but I was powerless to stop it. The male Strigoi's foot connected with my stomach, effectively knocking me into a tree at a bad angle. I heard the crack vibrate through my body, but I didn't feel it. I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't breath either. My brain wouldn't work as my lungs screamed for air. I was dying. My spine had cracked in the wrong place cutting my brain from my body.

I jolted upright fighting for air but it came easily. I gulped it down greedily as I looked around the room I was in. I'd been brought here after a different Strigoi attack. This was Dimitri's childhood home. My mother was sitting in a chair holding an ice pack to her head and watching me. My father had actual tears in his eyes. And then I noticed Olena and Yeva hovered by the door. Dimitri's sisters were on the stairs, all clearly had been woken up.

" Kiz how do you feel?" I snapped my attention back to my father. How did I feel? Hadn't I died? Christian was holding Adrian up, he looked pale. Luka and Keaton came in with a few blood bags for him.

" Didn't I die? Adrian you didn't!" Realization hit me. There was only one way to come back from the dead, and that was Spirit. I could not be bound to Adrian's dirty mind.

" No I only had enough in me to heal your spine. Eddie here did CPR until you came back to us." He said clearly feeling bad he hadn't been able to heal me completely.

I eventually nodded trying to take it all in. Then I remembered exactly whose home we were sitting in. I stood up albeit a bit slowly, and threw myself at Olena. She hugged me tightly.

" Oh Roza I'm so glad you are alive and safe." she whispered in my ear.

" He's back!" I whimpered back.

It was all I could manage at the moment. But she didn't understand as she pulled back to look at me. There was confusion all over her face so I told her everything. By the end of my tale since the night I had left here the Belikov woman were crying. Except for Yeva she looked angry, and it was directed towards me.

" Tell them what he's done to you girl. Tell his mother what he said." she growled. How in the fuck did she know? I didn't want to tell Olena the way her son had broken me upon his return, but with one stern look I spilled my guts. Olena looked horrified and his sisters were speechless.

" Rose" I turned toward Adrian.

" The bond is gone. Lissa thinks your dead. She has been texting me and Christian since the attack. He thinks you're dead too. The bond apparently blew open and she had to feel your death while he had to watch it."

" None of us knew what to tell her" Christian sad sadly. This night had affected him in a big way.

I got a twisted idea in my head. If everyone thought I was dead than fine. I could live my own life. I would never have to report back to court. Even though I worked for my father if I was summonsed to court I had to go. Lissa and Dimitri could get on with their lives without ever thinking of or seeing me again.

" Let them think that. In fact I did die and that part of me stayed dead."

I know I sounded cold, childish even but I didn't care anymore. Everyone was looking at me with pure shock, and then Sonya's face contorted in anger.

" I know my brother hurt you but this is awful. You can not do that. Do you realize what you're asking of us?"

I was about to tell her off not even thinking first when Yeva stood up.

" Your brother chose this path, let him learn his lesson. It's late and I believe we all need our rest."

Everyone in the room reluctantly agreed to keep my being alive a secret. I just felt like this was really my fresh start. Dimitri wouldn't have to feel guilty because he would never have to see me again. I could do whatever I wanted with my life.

But as the night wore on and the sun began to peak I began to feel guilty for asking this of them. I needed to get out of here to think for a while. I found a piece of paper and sat down at the table.

_Dear Family ( all of you in this house.)_

_I know what I've asked of you is a lot. But I need to do this. I also need some time to think. I feel guilty for doing everything this way but I have to. He broke something in me, I will make my way back soon I promise. Just please keep my secret. When I'm ready I'll let it all out. I love each of you very much_

_All of me, Rose_

I left the letter on the table knowing someone would find it there. I snuck out the door, retrieved my bag from the Suv and started walking. I had a lot to figure out and in time I would. I knew they would all keep my secret. They didn't like it but they knew I needed it. And for that I was grateful.


	3. Chapter Three

**_Chapter Three _**

**_Twenty-one months later _**

I was staring at my computer screen trying to make a real commitment on this. I'd gone back and forth with it the last week. But I needed to make a finale decision today! I had only talked with Vika about it though, as she had given me the key information months ago when her and Christian had come from court.

She had graduated from St. Basils and became her boyfriends guardian. They had become friends when I ran off, and it became more as they stayed in touch while she finished school. Yes Christian had left Lissa, blaming her for what had happened that night. It had been her fault we were there, her actions had put us all in danger. She didn't know I was still alive. Everyone thought I had truly died, and stayed dead that is.

Vika told me when they got here that she had finally been able to see her brother. She said he had been reinstated as a guardian again, but was pretty much just used to make sure no one acted out in council meetings. She said he had this dead, haunted look in his eyes. He had broken down and told her and Christian everything. Even what he had done to me as a Strigoi. He told her he'd been beyond stupid and it was his fault for what had happened to me. They hadn't really known what to say to him so had rushed back here where she spilled everything he'd said. Although I'm sure she held some stuff back from me.

This was all on me. In my childish anger over what had happened, I had turned him into a bigger mess. I had just carried on spending four months on a Strigoi killing spree, and then returned to Turkey to get my business degree. I now handle most of my father's rental and realestate properties. I say most because I don't handle the ones at court. But that was about to change, because the property I had recently found I wanted to personally purchase.

I went and found my father in his office. My mother and Pavel were standing behind him. They were both now his primary guardians. I smiled at my mom and she returned the gesture. We had made great strides in our relationship and even though I wasn't a guardian anymore she was still proud of me. I still carried my stakes with me and stayed in shape. That's just who I was and it would never change. I even still went hunting for the undead that plauged our world.

I put the printed real estate papers in front of my father. He looked at them and then at me.

" I want to buy that property."

I stated. He got a curious look in his eye as my mom leaned forward to look at what was in front of him.

" Well I'm heading there tomorrow I'll check it out." He stated what I already knew.

But no I wanted to do this. I had to do this. She should have never put it on the market just because she was mad. My father apparently saw the wheels turning and took a closer look at the information.

" This is Christians childhood home. That bitch has no right to sell it out from under him. She already cut him off financially when he refused to get back with Lissa after what she did. This is worse. He was devastated when he saw it. He doesn't know I'm planning this yet. I wanted to talk with you first."

My father nodded knowing I was right and that this was wrong.

" I'll make it happen kiz."

Here was my opening. But it really was time. I had been dead long enough.

" Baba I'm going to buy that property. I'm coming with you." I made sure they understood exactly what I was saying.

There was silence as Pavel, my mom, and my dad stared at me. But I was ready. It had been two years since Dimitri Belikov had broken me, and with the help of my family and friends, I had put myself back together.

" Kiz you'll be seen. Probably by him."

I smiled widely knowing he wouldn't stop me from going. He would do anything to ensure my happiness.

" I'm counting on it."

* * *

" So we're really going to do this?" Vika asked me hesitantly. I had explained my plan to Vika, Christian, and Eddie.

I never should have asked her and her family to lie about my death. Although if directly asked they would always tell the sort of truth. I had technically died which severed the bond to Lissa. They would just end their story there claiming to not want to remember it. And when the truth did come out I would just lead most people to believe that's as much as anyone knew.

Christian and Vika could easily say they had come to surprise Eddie and were surprised to find me also. I wouldn't take any of them down in my lie.

" I am going to call Mama and babushka. They will be so happy." She bounced out of the room leaving Eddie and Christian with me.

" Thanks for this Rose. I just cant stand the thought of losing my parents home. I know what they did was sick and twisted but they were still my parents. I've hated them most of my life for their choices, but this has made me rethink that hatred."

I nodded. I knew parental problems, but I still had mine. While my father stayed away for my safety, and my mother stayed away for her job, I still had them here today. Christian wasn't as lucky, and the person who'd raised him was doing him dirty.

" Are you sure about this though? Once you do this there is no going back." Eddie stated. But I had to. I shouldn't have left people thinking I was dead when I wasn't. I could see just how wrong it was now. No matter how bad I had been hurting it was a stupid thing to do.

" Yeah this is the right thing to do."

I got Tasha's number from the paper and went to find Luka. I needed him to make the call for me. He didn't have a name she knew so it wouldn't make her suspicious and automatically tell us no. Keaton and Luka were in the kitchen which is where you could usually find them.

" Luka I need your help."

He smiled a dazzling smile that should and would make any girl beg for his attention. He was six foot tall with blonde hair and baby blues. But we had a brother sister relationship now. Except when he was asked to follow me. At first when I had arrived he tried to get me to give him a shot. Adrian had been around for one of those times and laughed so hard he fell out of his chair. Keaton was Luka's polar opposite. He didn't joke, or smile, or really talk in general. But he was good at his job, which was pretty much making sure paymetns were made on time.

" What's up Princess?"

What a stupid nickname though. He said my father was wealthy enough to be better than royalty, which made me-his daughter-a princess.

" I need you to call this number and tell the woman you want to set up a time four days from now to look at the house she has listed. Give her the name Liliya Ivashkov. They're known to have children all over."

He nodded and I listened as she excitedly said she hadn't expected anyone to bite so fast, and that she would be there but would be coming from her home away from court. She was trying to sound so sweet and proper it was making me sick.

With that done I went to pack my bags.

" Mama is so happy that Dimka will know the truth now. She has been so worried since he went to see her."

What? I hadn't even known he finally went. Vika saw the confusion on my face. I knew she had not told me everything.

" Mama didn't want to pressure you since you were so hurt about him that night. She wanted to tell him but did not want to betray your trust."

This only proved to make me feel worse. Olena shouldn't have had to feel that way. I loved her so much and yet what I had been making her do was borderline ruthless. No it was straight up disgusting of me.

" Don't worry Roza, we know your reasoning and I know my brother will be happy to see you."

Maybe! I'm still not entirely sure about that, but I was mentally stronger now. I had a life outside of what had always been expected of me. I still went out and killed Strigoi to do my part, and still feel like I'm not skirting my duty as a dhampir. Sydney would even meet us every few months to give me the molnija I'd earned. She kept maticulous records of when and where i made my kills in case anyone ever questioned it.

Vika left to get her own things ready. Eddie, Christian, Vika, Luka, Baba, mom, and I were leaving in a few hours. It was ahead of schedule but we wanted to arrive ahead of Tasha. She had called Luka back pushing the time of the showing back a few hours saying she would be driving there.

I decided to call Adrian. Aside from spirit dreams we hadn't seen each other in a while.

" Liliya, why cousin how are you?" He must be around people since that was our cover name so no one would know it was me.

" I'll be there tomorrow." Stumped silence. I smiled, it was really funny to render the Adrian Ivashkov speechless.

" Really now? I'm just sitting here with the Dragomir princess and her fiancé. Um what was your name again?" I could tell he did in fact know, he was just being an ass. I heard Lissa say Aarons name. Wow that was a bit pathetic. Adrian excused himself.

" Are you sure about this?" How many people were going to ask me this? I had told everyone I would come clean when I got my life together. Well now was that time.

" Yes I'm sure. I am ready!" I could hear him lighting a cigarette. It was the only thing we could never get him to give up. He still drank but only when his darkness got really bad.

" Is the princess still being groomed to be the next Queen?" Adrian chuckled at the change in topic.

" Well that's on hold for the time being." well that was interesting I guess.

" Why?" I asked not really caring either way.

He chuckled again. I had a feeling he was a bit buzzed as well right now. It made me worry about him.

" Well the council is stuck on her not having any family. They want her and Aaron to hurry and wed with the promise of children soon after. But my wonderful Auntie has something up her sleeve. I know this because she told Vasilisa there was no rush to wed."

We talked until he finished his cigarette and then made plans to meet after I did what I needed to do.

* * *

Twenty-seven hours on a plane and one hour by car we were finally at Court. We gave my fake name and I.D. at the front gate. I didn't want anyone to know it was me until I had seen Dimitri. I hated wearing this blonde wig though. I felt ridiculous.

We went straight to my fathers home here to deposit our bags. They were all going to get settled and I was going to do the first thing I came here for.

Vika gave me his apartment number. And with the sun out I could wear my sunglasses along with the wig. I was getting more nervous with each step I took. I had put on a nice pencil skirt and white blouse paired with a nice pair of heels. Underneath the wig Vika had fixed my long hair into a tight French twist.

I wanted him to see I'd changed and was happy and healthy.

Finally I could see his door. No peep hole that was good he'd have to open the door to see who it was. I took the sunglasses and wig off making sure no one was around. I patted at my hair making sure it was still in place.

And then I knocked. Once, twice, three times.

Nothing. I guess he wasn't here. Then I thought what if he was driving here with Tasha. I wanted to cry. I was supposed to be stronger now though. I couldn't go back to that broken place I'd been. No matter what before I left this place Dimitri Belikov would know Rose Hathaway was not dead, and that I was stronger then ever.

I turned to walk away from his door only to see him standing there gaping. He was as sexy as the day I'd first met him. His hair was pulled in a pony tail at the nape of his neck. His chest, stomach, and arms were still chiseled to perfection. But I could see the haunted look Vika had told me about. It was a devastating thing to see.

" Hello Dimitri." his trance over he stopped gaping at me.

" Roza..." he breathed out.


	4. Chapter Four DPOV

**_Chapter Four _**

Rose was gone from Court now. She, her mother, and Edison Castile had left a few hours ago. Vasilisa had come to tell me that I didn't have to worry about her verbally attacking me anywhere again. Between her and Tasha they just didn't understand though. Rose had only been trying every method she knew to break through to me. In the end I was the one attacking her with hurtful words.

She had once been the love of my life, she still was honestly. Something I had never intended to find. I thought she was beautiful the moment I laid eyes on her in Portland almost a year ago. She was even more so now. It hadn't taken me long to fall in love with her or her to fall in love with me. The night of the Equinox dance it had taken everything in me to stop myself and tell her i had not felt the same for her. And on the night we finally gave over to our feelings and made love it was perfect. The circumstances surrounding it were terrifying, but it had made me realize I loved her more than anything. But all of our plans to become a real couple after she had graduated were ripped away when Nathan jumped on me in that cave and ended the life I had made for myself. And more importantly the life we had just planned for us.

I had awakened to find I was a monster and I relished in it all. I tore through my homeland taking life after life, loving every drop of someone else's blood that poured through my body. When I was told Rose was hunting me I laughed coldly. She had tortured one of Galina's idiots into giving me her message.

She was coming for me.

I had told Galina what an asset to her group Roza would make. I couldn't explain it, I didn't love her because that was a feeling I no longer possessed anymore. I had become obsessed with her very existence. She was my property. I asserted that claim the moment I brought her back to the estate, essentially pissing Nathan off.

I spent a few weeks trying to persuade her to join me on her own terms. And when my patience ran thin she acted as if she was ready. She played me well. It had made me proud even as a Strigoi. She had so much fire it would do me well to have her by my side as I took over, she even helped me get rid of Galina and Nathan. But when it was all said and done I had my estate and the stake she had buried in my chest, and Rose was tucked safely back in the mountains of Montana at St. Vladamirs. I could have left her alone. She thought she had killed me, set me free were the words we'd once used.

But I couldn't. It became a game to me. A game where she would gave to look over her shoulder, until it wasn't fun anymore. That's when I kidnapped Vasilisa and Christian knowing she would come. I looked right into Vasilisa's eyes and dared her to come after me. It resulted in a lot of bloodshed that was also now on my hands, and I was free of that state. I was a dhampir with a lot of guilt and no room for anything else.

Which had been the reason I had let those disgusting, untruthful words exit my mouth in the church. She was talking about how much she loved me and that I hadn't done anything wrong. In turn I broke her down, I ruined us, and she left for it. Weeks later I found out she had gone to Turkey to live and work for her father. Abe Mazur. That sure did explain a lot of her personality. Janine Hathaway a bad ass Guardian, and Abe Mazur who frightened everyone if any one said his name had come together to make one of he most lethal dhampir I knew. She was a force no one could take down...

Until three months after she had left. Lissa and Tasha had been sitting around complaining for the last hour about how Christian had gone to visit Rose and Eddie. Christian had been trying since Rose left to no avail to get Vasilisa to just admit she'd been wrong in the way she had treated her friend. Tasha was really the only person the Princess had on her side, even I was tiring of it all. Adrian would only come to converse with Christian, he would intentially ignore the Princess, and shoot mental daggers towards me as I always just stood in the corner to have some semblance of my old life.

This evening was different though. Vasilisa seemed drained mentally and physically. Tasha on the other hand was ramped up in her ill placed thoughts and opinions of Rose.

" I mean she just left her duty to protect Moroi. So she could do what, live with her rich Moroi father and not actually have to do anything? She is going to drag Christian down. Maybe her daddy should know how she left the Academy after the attack to be a blood whore. I saw the marks on her neck after her trials and graduation."

I internally flinched, those were marks I had made on her. Marks I had forced upon her. She was not a blood whore. She had risked her life and everything she had worked hard for to keep a promise we had made to each other. I wish she hadn't of, but if she had stayed here I may not have come after her. Meaning I would still be a Strigoi. A blood thirsty monster.

All of a sudden Vasilisa's eyes went blank, like Rose's would when she was in the Princess' head, and her hands gripped at her throat. Something was seriously wrong here, as she acted like she couldn't get air. And then she was gripping her head and screaming.

Tasha was trying to pry her hands from ripping her own hair out. I was about to call for a doctor, a guardian, anyone really. I thought she was losing her mind. Then she cried out three words that made my blood run cold.

" Rose is dead!" she wailed

Those words brought me down to my knees. That couldn't be right, I knew the kind of fighter she was. She'd gone up against me several times in the gym and during my time as a Strigoi. Tasha was looking at Vasilisa like some victory had been won, not that the Princess noticed this. It made me sick to see her like that, like she was happy. I made the choice right then to distance myself from her. Her constant advances were tiring anyway. I decided to just distance myself from everyone. Something in me just shut down.

I stood up making my way to the door and leaving both woman to themselves. If I hadn't of pushed her away, if Vasilisa had been more understanding, Rose would still be here at Court.

Before I could open the door and make my exit Tasha asked the Princess if she was certain Rose was dead. Something in the way she said it made my stomach roll.

" The bond broke, I felt it. The only way that could happen was if Rose died. And I watched and felt the whole thing." she wailed. With that information I walked out and slammed the door behind me. We had no one but ourselves to blame. I went to drown my sorrows in a bottle, something I swore I would never do. But really I had noting left to lose.

I hadn't been asleep long when I woke with a headache and someone pounding on my door. Without thinking I got up and answered it. There stood Tasha with a smile on her face. The memories of last night started pouring back in. Rose was gone forever and Tasha was smiling.

" Dimka I was thinking since there isn't really anything for you to do here, well you could finally come and be my guardian. You could learn to be happy with me."

I said I would never hit a woman, but here in this moment it took all of my will power to keep from doing just that. Tasha looked so smug you would have thought she'd been the one to kill Rose. Had she truly been that threatened of her? How had I not seen this before?

" Tasha I will never love you. I don't even want to be your friend right now."

She jerked back like I'd slapped her, but I couldn't find it in me to even care.

" Why couldn't you? I could give you a family. An easy life." she yelled.

" Because you aren't her. She was the only one I ever wanted that with." I tried to remain calm as I spoke.

Anger flared up in her ice blue eyes. I could feel the air around me getting hot. Her emotions were controlling all of her including her element.

" She is dead." she said with ice in her voice. I could see now why Rose had distrusted her, while I couldn't see past the connection to Ivan I still had through Tasha. But here, now in this moment I hated my old friend. She was every bit the spoiled Moroi Bitch she claimed she wasn't.

" Get out Natasha!" I screamed at her. She lost the ice and fire and retreated to the door, with one last hopeful glance she left. I went back to bed, trying to forget my very existence.

* * *

It had been a few weeks and I was on my way to see Guardian Croft. Apparently they had finally decided I wasn't a threat to anyone. Except myself now. I was downing at least a bottle a night.

I was almost there when I walked up on a very public argument between Christian and Vasilisa. Adrian was there and looked like he hadn't slept in days. Tasha was there also. She looked at me and then looked away, I was still angry and doubted that would ever change. I was going to mind my own business and continue on my way. Until I actually heard the words being said that is.

" It's your own damned fault Liss. We wouldn't have even been there had you not thrown every bit of darkness you had into her." Christian yelled loudly at her.

" I hadn't meant to. I was just so angry. She would let you and Adrian come visit, but refused to acknowledge my apologies." She retorted back trying to hold her image together.

I remembered the first time Rose had taken Vasilisa's darkness away. It had taken everything I had and was to bring her back to me. But for Vasilisa to purposefully do this to Rose made me feel more disgusted then I already had been feeling. I was beginning to hate everything the Moroi stood for. They were spoiled and we were nothing to them.

Ivashkov was watching me closely. I was looking directly back at him until Christian landed his final blow at the Princess.

" Yeah do your apologies extend to telling Rose you should have saved your family instead of her? You know it wasn't just her on that road, we were all there trying to make sure you couldn't pull a stunt like you'd done again. Guess what Princess you got your wish, Rose died on that road, and you led her there." Something was off in the way he said she'd died there. Maybe he truly had come to see Rose as a true friend.

The Princess was crying and Tasha was yelling at her nephew for acting the way he was. But I just saw Adrian still staring at me, it was a little unnerving.

" Well aren't you going to uphold your vow and protect her from us?" he sneered. I just turned and walked away having had enough of all of this. I guess I would always be grateful that Vasilisa had wielded the stake that brought me back. But after what I just witnessed that was all. I had just lost all respect for her. How could she intentionally hurt Rose that way?

* * *

For months now I've been getting up, hitting the gym, Guarding meetings, hitting the bottle and going to bed.

Today had been no different, except that my baby sister was sitting in front of me with a look of panic and hurt on her face. I had pretty much just spilled the entire contents of the last two years. From meeting Roza to how I was dealing with it all now. Something had told me not to go to the bar on my way home, but I'd gone anyway. Vika and Christian had been at my door when I'd stumbled home.

" Please don't be scared of me Vika. I'm not going to hurt you." I said feeling all the pain I had been holding in made worse at the thought of my sister hating me.

She launched herself away from Christian, who looked saddened by everything I'd said, and hugged me tightly.

" I'm not scared of you brother. But you have to believe things will work out in the end." I didn't really see how but I nodded anyway.

We talked or they talked I listened kind of, and by the time they left I had decided to take a leave of absence and go see my Mama. Seeing my sister made me realize how much I'd missed my family before all of this had even happened. I missed them even more now.

Guardian Croft gave me two weeks of leave, and as I drove down the backroads of my homeland I was never more grateful to be away from America. This was the peace I had needed for so many months. As long as I didn't think of my time ripping through here a blood thirsty monster. I shook the unbidden thoughts away and continued to drive.

When I arrived at my childhood home there were small children playing in the front yard, and one bored looking Paul. He had grown so much since I'd seen him last. And these must be my new nieces.

The front door opened and my Mama appeared taking a hard look at the vehicle, and when I stepped out her hands went to her mouth. Within moments my mother's tiny arms were wrapped around my waist and mine were wrapped around her shoulders. Both of us shedding tears.

" Why have you not come sooner my son?" she asked quietly.

I knew I should have come home sooner, and I knew she already knew what I was about to say to her. I said it anyway needing my mother's comfort more now then ever.

" Roza died Mama." she tightened her grip on me and said she knew. But something in the way she'd said it was off. I decided it was my own grief and in my head though. She led me into the house and the onslaught of my two sisters and grandmother. The latter telling me it would all work out just like Vika had.

After dinner my mother shooed me away from the chores. Paul whined saying it wasn't fair, Karo gave him a stern look and he began washing dishes. I made my way outside. It was dark and the stars lit up the night sky. It was truly beautiful. I wondered if Roza had stood in this very spot marveling at the same sight. I knew she had been here. When she'd come to free my soul she had told me how my family had been doing. I felt unbelievably close to her right now, almost like she was here with me.

" Roza if you're listening I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of it. And I promise to love you all my life." I whispered to the sky and wiped the fresh tears away. With one last look to the beautiful sky I went to help Paul with the dishes.

* * *

The time I had spent in Baia had been good for me, short but good. When I returned to Court I threw myself into my work, trained harder, and put the bottle down. I felt that it was the best way to honor Roza.

Vika and Christian had left before I had returned, though I wasn't sure where they had gone. Honestly I trusted Christian to take care of my baby sister. Even if technically it was her job to care for him. I'd just wished she could have been here the last three months to see the changes I had made. I was still depressed about all that had happened, but i was making the effort. That counted for a lot.

Today had been a long day and I was ready to go to sleep. But as I approached my door I saw a woman in a nice blouse and skirt. She had her hair in a tight up-do. She was a dhampir because I could see the top of her promise mark and many molnija marks. From behind she seemed so familiar, but I couldn't see her face from here. In one hand she held a blonde wig! That seemed strange to me, but I supposed I'd seen weirder things.

She knocked once, twice, three times and waited. When I didn't answer the door she sighed. I knew that sound, I'd heard it many times when she didn't get her way. I felt my jaw drop, my eyes widened, how was this even possible?

She turned and saw me standing there gaping at her. She was even more beautiful then the first time I'd laid eyes on her. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, it had to be a trick.

" Hello Dimitri." she said quietly.

It was her. Her voice was like music waking me from a long miserable nightmare.

" Roza."

I breathed out not trusting my voice at all.


	5. Chapter Five

_**Chapter Five **_

After having a short staring contest I decided to see if he was willing to talk tonight, or if he would need time to process what he was seeing right now. I had learned two years ago not to push him when he wasn't mentally ready for it. I had probably just tossed his world like it was in a tornado or a hurricane.

" I owe you an explanation Dimitri." understatement of the year I believe.

He slowly closed the distance between us, almost like if he moved too fast I would disappear. I had done this to him. Yeah I'd been in a bad place mentally and emotionally, but that didn't make any of this okay. I knew that now. I just hoped he could forgive me. He was standing in front of me now and I couldn't even look up at him. I was so afraid all I would see was his hatred for me, for what I had done to him.

" I thought you were dead."

He moved past me and opened his door. I waited to hear it slam shut, and when it didn't I turned to see him waiting for me. I walked past him and into the apartment. The space was small and bare just like his room had been at the Academy. There was a kitchen with a breakfast nook. A living room big enough for a love seat, end table, small entertainment center and an older television. A small path through the room led to a bed room and I assumed a bathroom also.

Dimitri was watching me look around his home and I couldn't figure out what was going through his head. Just like before he had been turned, his face was blank of any emotion. I had learned this very skill from him and mastered it over the last few years. Right now though it was making me antsy.

" What would you like to know?" I asked and for a few long seconds I didn't think he would answer me. I knew it probably wasn't the right question right now, but I didn't really know what else to say.

" Why? How?" His voice started to crack with the second word and he clamped his mouth shut firmly.

" I thought it was best. I didn't think anyone would truly care. You made it clear you did not love me anymore, and Lissa made it clear that it was a mistake I was even still alive to begin with." I sounded detached but inside I was an emotional mess. I just couldn't let him see that mess.

" I lied Rose. You wouldn't stop and I had to make you. I've spent the last twenty-one months blaming myself for your death. You had left because of me, and then I thought you were dead and I could never take those words back. I could never make you see that I did still love you. I need time to think."

He had started out yelling, his guardian mask completely crumbled away, but by the end he had almost reached a hoarse whisper. I nodded as I had anticipated this outcome. I had put him through hell and I couldn't change that. I couldn't take it back. I went for the door and as I brushed past him I felt the electric current that always seemed to be around us. He was truly my soulmate. I hoped that was still true for him as well.

" I did die that night, that wasn't a lie. My body and CPR brought me back after Adrian could only heal my broken spine. If you want to talk I'll be at my fathers house, but by the end of the week I'll be gone." With that said I left.

Walking outside the sun was shining and there was a hot breeze blowing. As I looked around me I noticed someone watching me, and I was beyond happy to see his familiar face again. It had been too long since I had seen him outside of a dream.

" Little Dhampir oh how I've missed you." He said pulling me into his arms for a hug.

" You could have come to visit, but you've been busy trying your hand at politics." He laughed. In all reality he spent his days helping his Aunt groom Lissa and keep watch on her aura to ensure she wasn't losing it because we'd lost the bond. He had a mischievous look to him though, and he answered me before I even asked him what it was.

" My Aunt would like to see you. I went by your fathers and Vika told me you were here." Of course she would know I was alive and here, she was the Queen. She had her hand in many secrets and lies. Just like my father.

" Lead the way. Hopefully it will be quick because I'm drained." We'd flown with only one stop to refuel from Istanbul, and I'd come to Dimitri as soon as I'd thrown my bag down.

The walk to the Palace was spent gossiping. Adrian spilled about all the Royal snobs, and I told him about what had happened with Dimitri. When we walked past the guardians outside of the tea room they looked bored. But what I was faced with inside was something I had hoped to avoid all together. I thought with it being late it would only be Tatiana. I looked at Adrian and he had the sense to look like he was sorry.

Lissa looked up as we entered and the tea cup she held fell to the floor shattering into tiny pieces. She stood up with her hands covering her mouth. Her jade green eyes were wide and beginning to fill with tears.

" I saw you die. I felt it. How?" Her voice shook as she spoke, her tears coursing down her cheeks.

" Yes I did die. But Adrian healed what he could, and Eddie did CPR until my heart beat and my lungs worked on their own again."

I was still angry with her and felt I didn't owe her anything right now much less an explanation. But I figured with the Queen sitting here I should give one anyway.

" What I would like to know is how your Aunt knew." I mumbled to Adrian, I know he didn't tell her.

Having heard me Tatiana got a smug look on her face and motioned for me to sit. And because you do not disobey your Queen I sat down across from her.

" It's nice to see you again Rosemarie. You have been greatly missed by many." I'm sure she was not one of those many mentioned. We had a rather large hate/hate relationship. She had never been one to hide her disdain for my very existence.

" Your kill rate has been impressive. I wanted to thank you for that service."

She began to laugh at the shocked look I hadn't been able to keep off of my face. I had prided myself in being able to keep all emotions contained behind a cold mask, and of course this woman could ruin that for me. When it was clear I wouldn't be saying anything she continued.

" Your alchemist friend keeps meticulous records if I do say so myself. I being Queen have access to any information that involve my people." I was a little put out that Sydney hadn't kept those in her own records but her people were strict.

Time to stir the pot here, some habits truly do die hard.

" So you're not upset that I skirted the desk duty the Moroi council so nicely put me on, faked being dead, and traipsed though Russia again killing Strigoi?"

I was being childish, I knew that. But this woman just always crawled under my skin. It didn't seem to faze her though.

" The councils decision certainly wasn't my own. They aren't easily persuaded with your achievements." unless it's to use them to push children out to die. " But I would like to know why you have chosen now to return to Court."

Of course she would! Well I would take great pleasure in telling her, because most Moroi thought we were to do nothing aside from protecting and dying for them.

" I'm here on business. Normally someone else would handle my affairs here, but I wanted to be present for this particular one." I said as casually as I could.

" What type of business do you do now? If you don't mind me asking that is." I'll give her one thing the old Bitch didn't miss a beat. But neither did I.

" I work with my father now." I said a little smugly.

Lissa's eyes went wide. She knew some of my fathers dealings were sketchy as hell, but I didn't have a hand in any of them. My mother knew what they were now that her and my father were married, but she said I was to be kept safely out of them.

" Hmm I see. Well I'm very glad to see you alive and well Rosemarie." she said a bit stiffly.

I knew a dismissal when I heard one so Adrian and I excused ourselves and headed back to my fathers house. Looks like I still get under her skin also.

* * *

I was sitting in the kitchen, glass of Russian vodka in hand. I had really gotten used to the stuff now. Still the equivalent of rocket fuel though. My parents were upstairs on a call with Pavel, who'd had stayed along with Keaton to deal with who knows what. Adrian, Christian, and Luka were playing some video game. And Eddie had gone to visit Mia. Her father had recently died and she was a mess.

I had changed into a pair of old sweats and a smaller shirt Alberta had found of Dimitri's when they packed up his room at St. Vlads. I also had a few of his books, and a bottle of his cologne. She had given it to me when I'd graduated.

Vika walked in and sat down beside me. She looked at the shirt and gave me a sad smile. I really only wore it when I was really upset and thinking about him.

" How did it go?" she asked.

I drowned the rest of my drink and stood to pour some more, another tell tale sign I was upset.

" He said he needed time to think."

I sat back down and took another drink. I had anticipated his reaction, but I had hoped it would all be okay. All I could do now was wait and see I guess. It had been about two hours since I had seen him.

" He will come around. You know how Dimka is, he has to think about everything."

She was right but I had just dropped an entire load of crap on him. It may take him years to think this through. There was a knock at the door and Vika told me to stay she would get it. I went to get more Vodka.

" Um Roza could you come here please?"

Vika yelled from the hallway. I heard the boys pause their game as I walked out of the kitchen. When I was in sight of the door I was stunned at who stood there.

Dimitri and Lissa. Together!

Dimitri was looking at his baby sister and Lissa was looking past me. A quick look let me know Christian was behind me along with Adrian and Luka. She looked like she felt betrayed. They both did.

" You knew!" Dimitri stuttered.

He sounded so hurt. I couldn't take it, but I didn't want him to blame anyone but me. This was not their battle, only mine.

" She didn't know." I said loudly getting all of their attention.

Vika turned around and gave me a dirty look. It rivaled one of my own and I was a little proud.

" Don't try to cover for me Roza. I'm not a baby, I can make my own choices." she turned back to the two in the doorway.

" If you want the whole truth come in. You're not going to like a lot of it, but it's how it had to be. If you can't handle it then leave right now."

I had never heard Vika sound so stern before. But it worked because the two of them came inside. I turned and went back to the kitchen because if I was going to have to relive my darker days, I was going to need more courage. I hadn't known I would be this unnerved. I felt like running upstairs and falling apart.

Everyone had followed me, I grabbed my bottle and motioned for the pair to sit down. Luka came to stand behind me taking his guardian stance. I didn't like to remember that my father said I'd pissed off so many Strigoi that Luka and/or Keaton were to accompany me when I went outside of a warded area. But I was happy he had my back tonight as I knew this would be hard, much harder then I originally thought.

Dimitri watched Luka through my whole story. Adrian and Christian had their additions to it as well. By the end Lissa was crying again, and it was the first time in almost two years that I'd wished I could tell what was really going on in her head.

Vika looked at her brother and it was then that he finally tore his eyes away from Luka standing behind me. I could see the hurt that his entire family had lied to him.

" When we woke up the morning after it had happened we each read Roza's note. Babushka told us that we had to keep her secret because you had a lesson to learn. She said her or Mama hadn't raised you to treat a woman like that no matter what. Especially one who risked her life and reputation to save your soul."

He stared at his sister confusion clear on his face, and Lissa looked down at her hands.

" He doesn't know. He still has no clue what you did so Lissa could charm a stake." Adrian sounded pissed, he just looked between Dimitri and Lissa.

" I never got a chance to tell him. I was so angry with you for leaving, and then you were gone and he stopped speaking with me altogether."

Finally Dimitri looked at me and asked me what had happened. It was the first time he has acknowledged I'd played a part in his return. At least to my face.

" She broke Victor Dashkov out of a heavily guarded prison."

My mother growled. I hadn't seen her or my father there, but I could tell no amount of time had made her forget that monumental screw up. I was just glad they'd caught up with him. Of course his brother had also landed in the psych ward at Tarasov. Victor had loosened what screws the man had left when he had made Robert heal him while they were on the run.

Dimitri stared at me hard, like he couldn't believe it.

" Why would you do that? He is a terrible man that deserves to rot in the cell he is in."

It wasn't like I expected a thank you, but I hadn't expected him to sound so angry. Sure Victor had tried to throw us under the bus in Court, but no one had believed him. And the shit he had done to Lissa was disgusting all by itself.

" He had information I needed and that was the only way to get it." I said callously

" But why? Why risk everything when you know he lies to get his way?" he shot back.

The whole room was silent. Everyone was watching the two of us, just waiting for me to answer him.

" Because I love you and I wanted to save you. It's really that simple."


	6. Chapter Six

**_Chapter Six _**

Nothing had been resolved between Dimitri and I last night. He had heard me out though so I wouldn't push him. But the amount of Vodka and the little sleep I'd gotten was kicking my ass this morning. I was antsy so Eddie, Luka, and I were going down to the older gym no one used anymore. I had to meet with Tasha in a few hours and I could use to hit something before then. Or else it may be her.

But when we walked into the gym we were hit with a sight I hadn't wanted to ever see. What made it worse was knowing it was my fault.

Dimitri was pounding a punching bag, the stuff inside was spilling out onto the floor. He had blood dried and fresh on his hands. And on closer inspection I could see he was still in what he'd been wearing when I'd seen him last. He must have come straight down here and obviously never left.

I walked over to him and touched his arm, but all that did was cause him to turn on me. Luka and Eddie came up behind me fast, but I had already used his momentum to take him to the floor. I could see it the second he realized who had put him on his ass and he just went still beneath me.

A few tears pooled in his eyes and slid out as I helped him up. Eddie and Luka were now doing their stretches across the small space, but kept a close eye on the two of us.

" Let me help you home. Please?" He nodded and we turned to leave. Luka ran over though and Dimitri tensed beside me.

" Do you need me to come?" He asked cautiously.

Dimitri's fist balled up causing more blood to run down his fingers.

" No I've got this covered, I'll see you later."

He nodded and went back to where Eddie was standing. Eddie gave me a small nod letting me know I had this. The walk back to Dimitri's apartment was quiet. He was brooding over something or maybe everything. When we got to his door he let us in.

" Where is your first aid kit?" I asked finally breaking the silence between us.

He pointed to the bedroom as he grabbed an ice pack from the small freezer. I walked through his room and into the bathroom. I had been right in my assumption yesterday. With the first aid kit found I returned to the kitchen to take care of his hands.

I was cleaning up the mess I had made as Dimitri watched me. He'd watched me the whole time I had cleaned out and bandaged his hands. They hadn't been as bad as I'd feared. All of this silence was driving me crazy.

" Who is the guy at the gym?" It had been so quiet his voice had startled me. It took me a full minute before I could answer him.

" That's Luka Volkov." I said placing stuff back in its place in his first aid kit. I remembered how anal he was about it.

" He is of Russian descent?" he mumbled loud enough for me to hear.

What would that matter? I just nodded because I couldn't see the point in the question, so I just continued to put his kit back together.

" Does he make you happy?" he asked quietly.

I stopped what I was doing and looked at him. Now I knew where this line of questioning was going and I found it funny. I couldn't laugh though, that would be the wrong thing to do right now.

" What are you getting at?"

I couldn't help myself. I wanted him to tell me so that I could reassure him that nothing was going on there.

" Well last night he stood ready to protect you, and just now he didn't want you to come with me alone." He said sounding hurt.

" Yeah well that's what he is paid for." I said a little bitterly. This was a sore subject. Always.

Dimitri gave me a questioning look and I sighed sitting down at the little table. First aid kit pushed aside for now.

" You remember how I told you I made my way through Russia again, killing Strigoi!" he nodded so I continued. "Well I made a few extra enemies and some even made actual death threats. As in they sent a warning to my father, through someone who owed him a lot of money. After that he said I needed someone to watch my back if I was outside of a warded area. He said Eddie would let me have my way so he was out, and since Luka was already on the payroll he became my Guardian. Like I actually fucking need one. Luka and I are nothing more than friends."

Dimitri sat there searching my face for any sign that I had lied to him. Finally he smirked. Like honest to god smirked. It looked really sexy and I caught myself as I'd stood up and taken two steps towards him. I took the steps back to the table though.

" I have to say I agree with your father. You had already pissed a lot of Strigoi off your last visit there. Especially with my obsession with finding you."

I stared blankly at him for a minute because I hadn't realized he was finally in a place mentally to talk about his time as a Strigoi. But in the end he nor my father were really wrong, which was the only reason I let Luka come with me when it was warranted.

" I went back to Novosibirsk. Marlen found me in a club one night. I remembered him and he hadn't forgot my name either. He is dead now so I guess it never really mattered for him huh!"

Dimitri had stiffened at Marlen's name. Probably remembering the vendetta he'd had against me after I had tortured him into giving Dimitri a message for me. But when I made it clear Marlen was gone from this world he relaxed again. We lapsed into quiet again and I finished putting the first aid kit together. Once I was done and every thing was in its rightful place I took it back to the bathroom and put it under the cabinet. I noticed a few bottles of Vodka hidden there, it made me realize Vika hadn't told me everything her brother had been going through. These bottles had dust on them, thankfully it seemed he had dropped that bad habit. Again I was thinking of what a terrible thing I'd done.

I stood up from where I was crouched and jumped when I realized I had been busted. Dimitri was standing right in the doorway of the bedroom. I walked out of the bathroom and just stood there not knowing what to do. We had never been this out of sync around each other, not even when he'd hauled me and Lissa back to the Academy.

" Has there been anyone?" He whispered

The question took me by surprise. Did he really think after all I'd went through for him that I could just be with someone else? I mean sure I had tried with Adrian, he is my best friend but that was all that would be between us. I walked up to him and grabbed the hands I'd just bandaged. I looked into those deep soulful eyes that I love so much.

" There has never been anyone but you. No one could ever capture my heart the way you did. My heart is yours. Always!"

We were looking into each others eyes, and then we were locked together in a frenzied kiss. It was like only we could bring each other alive once more. Until this moment I hadn't realized just how dead inside I had been. Dimitri Belikov was my life force, without him I'd only went through the motions of life. He broke the kiss and placed kisses on both of my cheeks, my nose, and my forehead.

My phone began ringing and as much as I didn't want to, I had to answer it.

" Yes Baba!"

" Where are you kizm?"

I looked at Dimitri and smiled. I was right where I wanted to be.

" I'm with Dimitri." I could hear the smile in my voice.

My father chuckled. Why? Because he already knew this, I was sure of that.

" But you already knew that. What's up old man?" I said a bit agitated now.

" Natasha just called Luka to confirm she would be here within the hour." He said all joking gone.

Damn that meant I needed to go get ready. I didn't want to leave Dimitri right now. But this was a main reason I had come here. Christian deserved to have his parents home without her selling it out from under him.

" Alright I'll be there shortly." My voice was clipped, I knew it wasn't my fathers fault. I'd set all of this up this way. But I hadn't realized by doing so I would have to leave Dimitri just as we were making real progress.

" And kizm. Bring Belikov, I know he has the next two days off. While you're at your meeting your mother and I can have a nice talk with him."

I heard the click on the other end and knew there was no way out. And of course my father would know Dimitri's work schedule, he had to know how many days he had before someone would wonder why Dimitri hadn't shown up for work.

" I have a meeting and my parents would like to talk with you. But you don't have to, I can take care of the old man and mom."

Dimitri apparently knew enough about my father to know that was a stupid idea. How did I know this? Well because the look on his face as he grabbed a fresh pair of clothes asked me if I was in fact stupid.

Yeah sometimes I was...

* * *

" So what is it you do now, aside from going out on your own to kill Strigoi."

Dimitri asked as we walked up the steps to my fathers home. We had talked about Eddie and how he pretty much did whatever my father asked of him. He was just happy to be with friends and not on a desk. I guess Dimitri had been working up to this question.

" I work with my fathers legitimate business'. I came back here to tell you the truth and to buy a house that shouldn't even be on the market."

" What house?" He asked as soon as we were through the door.

" Christians parents home here at Court. Tasha cut him off financially when he wouldn't take Lissa back and instead started seeing your sister. She was pretty pissed, but I think that had more to do with what Lissa could accomplish for her if they had a reason to hang in the same circle. Anyway she put their house on the market two weeks ago and I jumped on it."

I hadn't realized Dimitri hadn't moved past the door until I was half way up the stairs. He looked freaked out actually. I walked back down the stairs and stopped at the bottom.

" Does she know you're alive?" He asked frantically

" No absolutely not, I know she is your friend but I don't like that Bitch. I don't trust her either. I had Luka set the whole thing up." I stated the facts wondering where this was going.

" I don't think you should be at this meeting." He shot back.

" Why?" I said a little shocked at his slight agitation.

" Because she is unstable, she was in the room when Vasilisa got a front row seat to your death. I saw her face she was happy about it. I haven't spoken to her since."

Figures she would be happy about that. It opened her chances with Dimitri, or so she thought.

" Dimitri I'm not really worried about her. But Luka will do the talking, and Adrian made me a spirit infused ring to hide who I am. She doesn't know I'm still alive, so she wont know to look for me. It will all be fine."

I said trying to reassure him. But I planned on letting her know exactly who was buying that house from her. Adrian even lent me his skeevy lawyer cousin to be there so she couldn't renege on anything. I had thought this through the last week. I wasn't hiding anymore, from anyone.

" You want to come upstairs with me?"

I started up the stairs and he followed this time. Once in my room I went straight for my closet to change. I found a nice skirt that hugged the middle of my thighs, and a bright red blouse that worked with it well. As I came out of the closet Dimitri looked me up and down and visibly gulped.

Since our kiss it felt like everything was almost back to normal between us. So I couldn't help myself when I walked towards him swaying my hips from side to side. When I was directly in front of where he was sitting on my bed I smirked.

" See something you like Comrade?"

I watched as his eyes damn near turned black with lust, and my insides turned to jello. He pulled me to him in a kiss I knew would bruise my lips. I was now sitting in his lap as he gripped my thighs where my skirt had ridden up.

He broke the kiss and moved to my jaw and neck. He kissed all the places he'd bitten me, almost like he was apologizing. I just threw my head back and moaned. I wanted him so bad right now, but I knew we couldn't. Not yet. I had to know he'd forgiven me for what I'd done, so I moved off of his lap.

" Not yet Comrade. I want you to make sure I am what you want. And that you've forgiven me."

He nodded and then his gaze was on my dresser. I knew what he was looking at without even turning around.

" You still have this?"

He said walking over to pick it up. I nodded.

" It has brought me plenty of good luck."

He didn't look sure of that, but nodded anyway. Putting the stake back down he picked up the shirt I had been wearing last night.

" Alberta gave it to me when I graduated. Along with a few of your books and your cologne." I said shyly. I wasn't sure if he would think it was weird or not.

" That was very kind of her. I suppose that means she'd known about us the whole time." He said tenderly.

" My mother and Stan had to force me to leave you behind. I tried to go back in and when my mom wouldn't let me I lost it. I'm sure one of them told Alberta."

I hated thinking about that day. To have to stand there and watch as the love of your life get the literal life drained out of them is a fate worse than death. I began to cry and I didn't even care. Dimitri dropped the shirt and pulled me to him tightly. He whispered something in Russian, you would think I would have learned the language by now but no.

Finally I was in control again and good timing because Luka was standing there waiting quietly. I gave Dimitri a kiss and pulled away straightening everything up.

" You ready Princess?" Luka said like nothing was even wrong here and I hadn't just been crying.

" Yes! Please stop calling me that Luka. And before you start, your reasoning for it isn't even that good." I growled.

He feigned hurt and Dimitri cocked his eyebrow up. Something I still could not do. Luka looked at him and told Dimitri he would tell him when we got back, and that my parents said they would be back soon and he'd better be here.

" Roza." I stopped at the door to my bedroom.

" I'll always pick you. I promise to love you all my life. And I understand why you did it. It gave us both time to heal."

I grinned and threw my arms around his neck as he kissed me. When he broke away we were both smiling.

" I promise to love you all my life too Comrade."

I felt like I could handle anything as I left the house. It was a great feeling.


	7. Chapter Seven

_**Chapter Seven **_

I slid the ring on my finger. Adrian had found the gaudiest diamond ring he could. He thought it was hilarious when he'd brought it to me, and I'm sure he was laughing now just thinking about me wearing it. And of course the only finger it had fit on was my ring finger. Extra laughs there.

We had taken a car to this meeting because until I had the keys in hand, we wanted this to seem like a rich bitch buying another property she didn't really need. Luka got out and walked around to my door helping me out. Tasha was already standing on the porch and Mr. Skeevy lawyer had just arrived. I could not remember his name to save my life though.

The house truly was beautiful. I could see Vika and Christian starting a family here.

" Hi you must be Liliya, I'm Tasha Ozera. Did you want to look around some?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.

I looked to Luka as he was to do all of the talking, because the ring wouldn't disguise my voice.

" No that won't be necessary. She has cash on hand, the full amount. We thought you'd appreciate that." she nodded eagerly. " But we did want to know about the other name on the deed. Our lawyer here found out about it." Luka said in a professional tone.

She looked shocked. The goal here was, because both names were on the deed, we would split the money so Christian would get the house and some money in his account. That was what he and Vika said anyway. I had other ideas, like I said I'd thought this through.

" Well that's my nephew, but I haven't seen him in some time really." she said haughtily.

I had expected that answer. And our lawyer Damon Taurus, that was his name, he had helped us out with that part.

" That's alright Lady Ozera, I found him for you as he will also have to sign for this to be legal. Liliya here doesn't want to lose her newly acquired home due to an inconvenience like both parties not signing."

I nodded in agreement while internally laughing at the fact he was screwing her as much as we were. Damon motioned in the direction of his car and Christian and Vika got out.

" Christian it is so good to see you. And Vika how is your brother? I'm going to meet him when we're all done here. But don't tell him I want to surprise him."

My blood ran scorching hot, but I needed to remain calm and collected here.

" Now that we are all here lets get this paperwork signed." Damon said letting Tasha know she was wasting his time.

He had Tasha and Christian sign all of it first and then I signed my parts. The whole time Tasha was laying it on thick. When I'd finished signing I handed it to Tasha as she handed the keys to Luka. As she read over the signatures I slipped my ring off waiting for it to hit her. And boy did it.

" Is this some kind of joke?" she asked and then finally looked up to see me. Just about every bad emotion one could have splayed across her marred face.

" No you are dead. Lissa said she watched it happen."

I smiled as I handed Christian a bank receipt. I had my father open him an account and put what the house was going for in it. I'd checked with Damon yesterday to make sure it was legal though. Because I didn't want Tasha getting a dime from it.

" Well Natasha she was mistaken. Here is the money for the house and the keys, it is now fully yours and Vika's." I said handing everything to Christian, he had become the main person on the deed on his Eighteenth birthday anyway. That's how Damon explained it anyway.

With that done Luka, Christian, Vika, and I walked back to the car. But before I got in I turned to Tasha once more.

" Sorry you came all this way for nothing, and I wouldn't worry about surprising Dimitri. He and I have plans ."

* * *

" You should have seen the look on her face Mr. Mazur, it was priceless."

Luka was retelling the events to everyone. Eddie, Adrian, Christian, and Vika were laughing. But Dimitri and my parents had a strained look on their faces.

" Okay what gives? You two knew it had to be this way to be legal. Christian deserves to have this." I said reminding them of the reason we'd discussed.

My parents looked at each other and then between Dimitri and I.

" Well while you were gone Belikov here told us his concerns about Lady Ozera." my mom said. Ugh! Yep he was back to his over protective ways.

" So what? She was happy I was dead. She has wanted Dimitri for years. She just doesn't know how to take no for an answer. I'm not worried about Natasha Ozera." I said fixing them with my best glare.

" Alright, alright kiz! We get it you can handle her yourself. I'm proud of you though, what you did today was a good thing." My father said.

It was pretty cool. Christian and I used to hate each other. But now I didn't know what I'd do without him. He had helped me through some pretty rough times the past two years.

" Well since we're talking about good things, we have some news." Vika said proudly. I felt and saw Dimitri tense up a bit beside me.

" Christian and I are going to have a baby. I had my first appointment and ultra sound this morning."

Dimitri was completely rigid beside of me now. Vika was looking at him, and he was looking at Christian who looked terrified. Vika sure did know how to rip a band aid off! I touched Dimitri's arm and he visibly relaxed some, although he was still starring at Christian.

My mother walked over and gave Vika a hug telling her that was wonderful news. I looked over at Dimitri and was full of sadness all of a sudden that we could never experience this joy. He picked up on my mood change and broke eye contact with Christian and looked at me. Instantly he knew and that seemed to change his outlook on the situation.

He hugged his sister and shook Christians hand, who looked thrilled to still be standing. Vika passed around the ultra sound picture. The baby was small, but was already loved by everyone standing here.

" This calls for a celebration dinner. I'll go and make some calls." My father said happily.

I on the other hand went straight to the kitchen and my bottle. I'd found myself doing that a lot lately. Dimitri had followed me into the kitchen.

" We could adopt, or get a surrogate." he said making future plans for us.

I knew all of this, but it wasn't fair that the way we were made meant if we loved someone of our own race, that we couldn't have our own children. It was just another reason to add to the long list on why Moroi were fucking lucky. They could fall in love with anyone and have babies with them. No limits at all.

My whole life I was taught the Moroi come first, and that without them we would die out. I remembered from my animal behaviors class that amphibians could turn into whatever they needed to keep their species going. Why couldn't dhampir have a gift like that? Dimitri's arms encircled me. Immediately I felt calmer.

" What are you thinking about Roza?" he said close to my ear.

" Frogs." I deadpanned. He turned me around to face him while also taking the bottle I had been clutching out of my hands.

" Frogs?"

He was confused but who wouldn't be? Sometimes my mind surprised even me.

" Yes frogs! Because they can morph their gender to save their species, while we have to rely on the Moroi to continue ours. I never thought I would be anything but a guardian, but now that I'm free to do whatever, I want more. I have a career away from people who would rather watch us die than treat us as equals. I still do my part to ensure their safety, but I am finally in charge of my own life. Except for having children, that is something they will always be in charge of."

I don't know where all of this anger had come from. It was supposed to be a happy moment for two of my best friends. Instead I was yelling at Dimitri over something he couldn't control either. I bet he was wishing that he'd stayed not speaking to me. Then the fear that he actually did crept in. Now that we had re-declared our love for one another I didn't want to go back to not having him. Everything in me just deflated, and he gripped me to him tightly.

" I'm not going anywhere Roza. We will figure it all out and any child we adopt will be ours."

I smiled knowing he was right. There were plenty of kids in our world that didn't have a family, we could change that for a few of them. I looked over my shoulder when Christian entered the kitchen.

" I'm sorry we just blurted out our news. We were just so excited about having a home for us, and the appointment this morning. It just seemed like the right time. Vika didn't want to upset you Rose."

Oh my god of course they'd heard my outburst. I was embarrassed. I didn't want them thinking I wasn't happy for them.

" She didn't upset me. It was the perfect time to tell all of us. I cant wait for the baby to come. Aunt Rose is going to spoil that baby so much."

I walked over to give Christian a hug, and went to make things right with Vika. Hopefully Dimitri didn't make Christian disappear now that they were alone.

* * *

Dinner had been very nice. My father had gotten us a table at some elite Royal Moroi restaurant, and the stars we had received had been comical. It wasn't normal for dhampir to sit and have a meal with Moroi. We were to stand and watch them eat.

Dimitri and I were standing outside of his apartment and the two glasses of champagne I'd had were making me feel things. Dimitri looked fucking sexy in his black dress pants and black button up shirt. His hair tied back and the mixture of all three had me thinking dirty things all night. The look in his eyes told me he'd been thinking the same. But I'd wore a more revealing dress that looked similar to the one I'd worn the night of the lust charm we'd been under.

He shut the door behind us and in seconds grabbed my face and kissed me roughly. My back hit the wall hard and it felt good. This would not be sweet and loving. Our pent up energy from the last two years would be rough and angry. I moaned into his kiss at the thought.

He gripped the back of my thighs lifting me up. My legs wrapped around his waist and I could feel him at my core. I ground my hips against him and he hissed. He unwound my legs dropping them to the floor and breaking our heated kiss. With my feet planted firmly on the floor again he turned me around to face the wall.

He tried to unzip the dress and when he couldn't he tore it from my body. Liquid pooled in my panties and I knew they were ruined. Just like the dress. The things he could do to me were amazing. I moved to kick my heels off, but he moved closer to me and ran his hand down my abdomen, sliding it lower and lower until he found his prize. He slid two fingers inside me slowly.

" Leave them Roza!"

He slid his hand back out of my panties and then ripped them from my body also. I found myself bent forward with my hands on the wall. Dimitri laid loving kisses between my shoulder blades as I heard him undo his belt and unzip his pants.

He ran his hand up my inner thigh and I squirmed impatiently.

" Please Dimitri."

I moaned. I couldn't take it anymore. And then he was inside of me. He set a fast and rough pace, and the pleasure that flowed through me was mind blowing.

Somehow we ended up in the floor, he sat back on his legs and I still facing away from him in his lap. The pace hadn't changed though. He held a hand to my stomach keeping me close to him, and as my orgasm approached the other hand traveled upwards. He placed it to the top of my throat and the bottom of my jaw turning my face towards him.

My orgasm wracked my body and he swallowed my screams in a kiss as he also let go. Once we both came down from our high he pulled out of me and lovingly carried me to his bed.

He kissed me deeply, sweetly and I returned every bit of it. I loved this man more then anything. No matter what we could or couldn't have. The kiss quickly turned into round two of the night. But this time we showed each other just how much we loved the other.


	8. Chapter Eight

**_Chapter Eight _**

We had not been asleep long when someone started pounding on Dimitri's front door. Both of us jerked awake seeing it was nine in the vampire morning, and trying to grab some clothes to put on. Dimitri had on his pants from last night and I had grabbed one of his t-shirts. It hung down to my knees. Dimitri opened the front door to reveal four members of the Queens guard. What now?

" Is Rosemarie Hathaway here?"

One of them asked loudly and when Dimitri nodded they pushed their way inside. It all happened so fast from there. The one who had asked if I was here pulled out a shiny pair of handcuffs. The other three blocked off my escape and Dimitri from getting to me.

" Rosemarie Hathaway you are under arrest for the murder of our beloved Queen Tatiana Ivashkov. Please come quietly."

They didn't give me time to do anything. Dimitri and I just stood there shell shocked as I was quickly handcuffed and drug out of there. It wasn't until I was being processed that I realized I didn't even have underwear on. With my court appearance set up for later this afternoon I was taken down to a holding cell. They let my father down only when he told them he was my lawyer.

What in the actual fuck was going on?

* * *

I was sitting on the stand because the prosecutor had some questions. The Queen had in fact been murdered and someone had used my fucking stake to do it. My mom, Adrian (who had been crying), Eddie, Christian and Vika were sitting front and center. Lissa and Tasha were also sitting with them for some reason. Dimitri was made to guard in the back as the place was packed. He was visibly upset and looked exhausted.

" So Miss Hathaway where is it you have been the last two years?" she said with disdain

I hope she wasn't going where I think she was.

" Away!"

Nice and simple like my father had said. I was just glad I had clothes on now. And more importantly underwear.

" I see! But didn't you in fact fake your death almost two years ago? Let's see twenty-one months ago to be exact."

And she went there.

"No." I stated.

" No? Are you sure about that?"

Smart ass fucking bitch. I knew this was her job but I so wanted to hit her right now. But I remained calm knowing I was completely innocent.

" I'm sure. Because I did die, the spirit bond I'd had with Princess Vasilisa broke meaning I died. I was brought back with a small amount of Spirit and CPR. I just decided no one needed to know any different for a while."

There were quite a few murmurs through out the court room. The judge told everyone to quiet down or they would be thrown out.

" You had tea with the Queen upon your arrival back correct?"

This was getting ridiculous.

" Yes we had a pleasant conversation about my work and the Strigoi I'd killed the last two years." I said sweetly.

" That's nice."

The way she said it was anything but though. She walked over to her table and picked up my stake. It was the one Dimitri had sent me from Russia. She held it up in front of my face.

" Is this your stake?"

" Yes!"

More mumurs but she continued to question me.

" This is the stake pulled from Queen Tatiana's chest. Where were you at eleven last night?" she questioned happily.

" I was busy." I said acidly.

" You were busy?" she reiterated. " Doing what exactly."

I looked at Dimitri in the back of the courtroom. I didn't want him to be a part of this. He'd been through so much already. But he gave me a look, it said tell her the truth.

" Doing what Miss Hathaway?" She said loudly while snapping her fingers.

" Guardian Belikov and I were together." I said slowly.

She actually rolled her eyes.

" Doing what?"

Oh my god you broken record.

" We were having sex. To be exact though we fucked twice and made love once."

There was a collective gasp through the courtroom and my mother had turned red. It would have been funny had I not been suspected of murder and high treason. The judge told me I was out of line, which yeah I was but this bitch wanted specifics. I wondered if she would ask me how many times I got off next.

" Can you prove this?" She asked me when everyone had settled down.

" I didn't know that I would need to or I would have recorded it." I thought my mother was going to faint.

After that she told the judge that was all she needed and it was decided I would go to trial. I wasn't stupid I knew if I was convicted I would be put to death. And that made me angry.

" Don't worry kiz, I have a plan." my father whispered in my ear.

One of the Queens guard came to collect me and take me back to my holding cell. Guardian Moore I think his name was. Halfway back I heard a set of heels clacking behind us, in the empty corridor they seemed to echo. Guardian Moore stopped and then Tasha appeared in front of me. She leaned into my ear.

" I did it you know. It was so easy." She whispered. I was stunned. " And this time around I will get to watch you die, and you won't be coming back again."

She leaned up and kissed Guardian Moore and was gone. He drug me back to my cell and pushed me inside harder then necessary. I had seriously underestimated that bitch. I needed to see my father. But Guardian Moore told them upstairs that I didn't want to see anyone till morning.

And he stood guard all fucking night, so I couldn't even tell a replacement guard that I wanted my father.

* * *

It was Sunday morning, the morning after my hearing and as I sat there thinking I heard a loud commotion on the stairs. I wasn't in any position to see and that made me nervous. I was a sitting duck in here. The guardian who had finally replaced Moore at my cell made it two steps before he was knocked out cold. And before me stood Dimitri. I could tell he still hadn't slept. Or if he had it wasn't enough.

He unlocked my cell door and pulled me to him. He kissed my forehead, nose, and then my mouth. I had needed it badly.

" Okay you two lets go, we only have a small window here."

I looked at Adrian and he smiled back. I hugged him because I knew he truly cared for his Aunt. She was the only family he had that cared about him and his interests. This had to be extremely hard on him.

" We can hug later little dhampir." He said serenely.

And with that we were out of there. The sun was out but not for much longer and we didn't run into any problems on the way to the garage. My father was there waiting for us.

" Baba, Guardian Moore lied to you. I wanted to see you immediately. He's in with Tasha. She stopped us on the way back to my cell last night. Baba, Tasha killed Tatiana and framed me." I said as discreetly as I could.

Dimitri and to my astonishment Adrian were already in the car. An angry look plastered its way onto my fathers face. He hugged me tightly and told me to go as a blast went off and we had a way out without Guardians stopping us.

" Remember we need her alive!" I said frantically. I knew the look on his face well, and it meant he had no mercy to dole out.

" I know Kiz, I'll be in touch through Ivashkov."

He shoved me into the car and we were speeding through the hole that had been made in the wall. I gripped the door as Dimitri drove the small Honda across the field. We didn't have any followers yet, but someone had to of heard that blast.

* * *

We had been on the road for eight hours now and Dimitri took the exit for Cleveland, Ohio. None of us had said a word, but each of us had taken turns looking over our shoulder. I couldn't believe that no one had followed us. I looked at the clock on the dash, it was 4 a.m.

Dimitri found a used car place that was closed down for the night. It was pitch black as we parked next to a car on the lot, a few of the street lamps were out. This place was in a bad part of town from the way it looked. Dimitri took the tag off of our car and put it in his bag.

We walked around hunched over until he found what he was looking for, not an easy thing to do in the dark with no light. The vehicle happened to be a Honda Pilot. He told Adrian and I to crouch down further and stay put, and then he disappeared.

He had been gone a few minutes when a dark sedan drove by slowly, but thankfully we couldn't be seen. I'm sure by now my face was everywhere, even with the human police because the alchemists could smooth that over. I was getting antsy and crouching in heels was no easy feat, but no one had brought me cloths or shoes.

Finally Dimitri came back with a set of keys. He was couched down like Adrian and I as he unlocked the door.

" The car that went by were the local police, our car was spotted and called in a few miles before the exit. Stay low and climb in." How did he know that? You know what never mind, he probably had listened to a police scanner while getting the keys.

He went around back to put yet another tag on this vehicle and then climbed in himself. My father had probably given enough tags to steal at least ten cars. We waited to see if the sedan would make another round and then pulled out. It wasn't until we were a good ten miles out of the city that the three of us could breath again.

" Roza what did you tell your father before we left Court?"

I couldn't believe it had taken this long to bring it up.

" Tasha killed the Queen and Guardian Moore helped her do it. He was the one who took me back to my cell. She followed us and he stopped so she could talk to me."

The car was silent, the only thing you could hear was the purr of the engine and the road beneath us.

" Well what did she say?" Adrian asked after a few minutes.

" She said she did it and that it was easy. She also said she was going to watch me die this time and I wouldn't be coming back."

I watched as Dimitri got the same angry look my father had gotten. His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were turning white. Adrian was quiet again, I knew the news would hurt him further but I needed him to try to contact someone back at court. I asked and he agreed, probably to escape his thoughts right now.

I reached over and gripped Dimitri's leg, he relaxed his hold on the steering wheel and grabbed my hand squeezing it.

" Your father will find her. And she will get the punishment she deserves. I promise you that."

His Russian accent was thick and he was more angry than I originally thought. I had done this. I had provoked her and she retaliated rather quickly. I wouldn't take what I did back, Christian and Vika needed that house and money more now than before. Tasha had taken everything from him and he hadn't deserved that at all.

" I provoked her and I underestimated her. She was willing to murder the Queen knowing I would get put to death for her frame job, and all of this to try and get to you."

He took his eyes off the road to look at me.

" She will never have me. And if they don't find her and clear your name then we will go to Siberia and hide. You will not die for this."

I squeezed his hand as he faced the road again. Adrian still had his eyes closed so I impatiently waited for him to give me some news. Finally after twenty minutes he was back in the car.

" She is gone, she checked out after she talked to you apparently. And Guardian Moore is hiding somewhere at Court. Your father is trying to find him." He said before I could even ask.

" That explains why he told the Guardians I didn't want to see anyone until morning, and why he stood guard all night and not switching out with anyone. He was letting her escape." I said more to myself than the two people with me.

Dimitri let out a growl. I may not be an actual guardian anymore, but I would never conspire to kill my Queen. Even though she was a real bitch to me.

" I want to know how she got him to do it. You know help her."

I voiced aloud and both men nodded. We lapsed into another silence, all of us thinking to ourselves.

A few hours later we stopped in a small town to fill up the gas tank and get some food. Luckily the gas station was old and had no cameras, so no one would even know we were ever here. When we were finally back on the road my curiosity got the better of me.

" Where are we going anyway?" I asked

" A safe house your father has. No one knows about it and he has someone he trusts on their way there also." Dimitri said in a no nonsense tone.

That was all he said and I knew he wouldn't tell me more. So I settled in for the ride.


	9. Chapter Nine

_**Chapter Nine **_

" Is this some kind of joke?" I asked incredulously

Dimitri nor Adrian looked amused. We were all tired, Dimitri probably more so then Adrian or I. He had insisted on driving the entire two days it took to get here. He'd stopped for a few hours hiding the car to get a little sleep. But why here?

" You drag me out of my hiding place here almost three years ago only to bring me here to hide again!"

That's right people we were in the great city of Portland. I knew where all of my fathers homes were, and I had never seen any that were located here. I voiced my opinion on the matter.

" No one knows about this one. He acquired it three and a half years ago according to him." Dimitri said in way of an exasperated explanation.

Well that explained the tip to the Academy. Either Russia hadn't been the first time he'd found me or he'd had someone hired to spy on Lissa and me. Either way it had turned out to be the best thing to happen, even if I hadn't felt that way at first.

Dimitri pulled the Pilot into the driveway of a beautiful colonial style home. It had a beautiful wrap around porch with a swing. There was also a Honda CRV in the driveway, meaning my fathers trusted colleague was already inside. I couldn't think of who it could be that he would trust to help hide me. Maybe Keaton, but he was supposed to be out collecting.

The neighborhood we were in was quiet, both homes on either side of this one were for sale. They were just as nice as my fathers. Maybe when this was finished I could buy one, we could come here for family vacations and Dimitri and I could retreat to our own home. If he could line the time up that was, I would have to remember he was still a guardian.

" Come on Roza , let's get out of sight. There aren't supposed to be any guardians posted in this area, but we don't know about the local police."

Dimitri had his bag slung over his shoulder and the three of us walked up the front stairs. Dimitri produced a key and unlocked the door letting us inside.

The first thing I noticed was the French doors leading off of the entry way to the living room on the left. In front of us was the stairs and a small hallway that continued to a downstairs bathroom. To the right was a dining room and another archway into the kitchen. Someone was in there.

I walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. The person standing there was the last person I had expected to see. Although I shouldn't have been surprised.

" Sydney Sage, how in the hell did he get you to do this?"

She put her glass of water down and smiled. I walked over and gave her a hug. Over the past two years she had really loosened up. But she still followed the rules of her kind, which is why her being here shocked me, to a point. I released her from the hug as Dimitri and Adrian finally found their way into the room. I suspected they'd given us a minute though.

" There is McDonalds in the fridge, I got you a lot of it. I'll go to the grocery store later before it gets dark. I also bought you some clothes. Abe gave me a specific list. I put it all upstairs in the rooms." she said happily.

Dimitri and I nodded and thanked her. Obviously none of us had had time to get anything. Adrian who had been quiet since we had arrived smirked. Nothing good ever came after that smirk either.

" So since Big and little dhampir are probably staying in the same room, do you want to have a sleepover in mine?"

Sydney's mouth dropped and her face started getting splotchy. I could tell she was completely mortified. I stalked across the kitchen, my heels clicking on the marble floor, and grabbed Adrian by the ear dragging him out of the room.

Dimitri followed us into the living room, probably to make sure I didn't actually commit a murder. It wasn't off the table yet.

" Adrian you can not act that way towards her. She still thinks most of our kind are evil creatures of the night."

I let that sink in for a moment before I continued.

" She doesn't know you or Dimitri so she probably feels uncomfortable, you need to apologize."

He looked almost childlike as I scolded him but he nodded. I turned around to see Sydney already standing there. Her face was more flushed with embarrassment now than before. Shit!

" It's okay Rose, you broke me when it comes to crude comments. He just took me by surprise. Most Moroi don't know about us and the ones who do don't talk to us or we them. And honestly I didn't expect to meet you in male form." She said laughing.

That smirk was back on Adrian's face and I glared essentially removing it. Satisfied with the over all outcome I went to the kitchen and grabbed the food. I noticed some blood bags also in the fridge. Once the food was reheated we all sat down at the table to eat.

" So how did you two meet anyway?"

Adrian asked true curiosity laced his words. I could tell Dimitri was also curious. He had worked with alchemists before and no doubt had never seen one so comfortable with us before now.

" Well when I left the Academy and landed in Russia, I left a string of Strigoi bodies in my wake. Sydney had to dispose of them and figured out it was me doing it. She yelled at me for not contacting her for formal clean up." I said giggling.

" I did not yell at you. I calmly told you the protocols. I just didn't know you didn't know them." She laughed out, I began laughing harder.

" Then she agreed to take me to Baia. We stayed at some little farm house on the way there, and I stupidly went outside to take on two Strigoi with no help. I took them out, but not before calling up the ghosts to help me." Dimitri visibly shivered, most likely remembering when I'd released them on him.

" She saved that family and myself. But she got injured so I called up Abe and he came out to get us. He took us to your family's home after Rose kept crying out for you."

Sydney recounted the events after I had passed out on the ground. Dimitri just looked at me with sad eyes. Eyes that said he was sorry I had had to deal with it all. I reached out and touched his hand. We couldn't change anything that happened, but we could just leave it in the past. Move on with our lives and be happy. Hopefully out of hiding soon.

" Your mother is such a kind woman. Does she know you're back?" Sydney directed towards Dimitri.

" She does. I went to visit her a few months ago. They had a party I'm told rivaled my funeral."

He said staring at me. Yikes that must have been a weird conversation. ' Your funeral was lovely a few years ago!', yeah glad I missed that.

Adrian outright laughed. We switched to lighter topics and finished eating our food.

* * *

" She should have let me go with her. Adrian could have made me a disguise."

Dimitri and I were upstairs looking through the stuff Sydney had brought. She had gone to the store to get actual food, not fast food. Her words not mine. I didn't think she should go by herself, but she assured us all she'd be fine.

I pulled out the outfits Sydney had gotten, it was practical stuff. Things you could run away in if needed. She'd gotten Dimitri similar attire. It hit home that we were in fact on the run and my mood plummeted. I think I would have felt better not knowing who had framed me. I wondered if Christian knew yet. I hated that his family kept screwing up around him. He was a good person and deserved better.

" What are you thinking about Roza?"

I looked up at Dimitri, he looked worried. I had drug him into a huge mess and he was worried about me. We really were back to what we were before all the bad.

" Just thinking about how this is effecting Christian. His family just keeps disappointing him. First his parents turn Strigoi, then his aunt kills the Queen out of jealousy towards our relationship."

He pulled me close and kissed the top of my head.

" And here you are thrown into my mess again. Like I already didn't do enough to you."

He put his hand on my chin and pulled my face up to look at him.

" I am exactly where I want to be. I'm perfectly happy being here with you." He said.

" But?" There was something he wasn't saying.

" Well I'm not looking forward to the talk your parents promised me after your comments in Court. Your mother already tried to attack me."

I looked at the seriousness on his face for a few seconds and then busted out laughing. It took me a few minutes to regain control of myself.

" That was not one of my finer moments, but she wanted to know what I had been doing. I was on the brink of giving her a detailed account of it all too. Right down to how many orgasms I'd had."

Dimitri grunted and readjusted himself. Images from the other night floated through my mind and I had to fight back the moan building in me.

Dimitri already seeing where my thoughts were leaned down to kiss me.

The kiss burned with passion and promise. The things he could do with only a kiss were life altering. I loved this man with every fiber of my being. All too soon the kiss was over as Adrian cleared his throat from the doorway.

" Do I need to get an ice bucket?" He said chuckling. I however was not amused in the slightest. He caught on to that quickly.

" I reached Abe. They have people still looking for Ethan Moore. And Eddie, Christian, and Vika just checked in that Tasha's home is empty. It has a for sale sign in the front yard. They are trying to track her down though."

I nodded. I also wondered if she'd always had killing the Queen planned and it was just a good coincidence for her that I returned from the dead. It seemed Adrian and Dimitri were thinking the same thing.

" Oh yeah I forgot about this in all the excitement of breaking you out. Ambrose said it was important."

I took the wrinkled, folded up piece of paper. I had no idea why Ambrose would want me to have anything, he and Tatiana had been lovers and he probably thought the same as most everyone else. That I'd come to Court to kill the Queen.

Both men in the room noticed my hesitation to open and read whatever was inside. And while Dimitri didn't want to leave my side he encouraged Adrian and himself to leave the room.

I stared around the empty room, pretty much anywhere besides the paper in my hand. But finally I decided I could take whatever he had to say. I probably deserved some of it anyway for how many times I'd mentally thought about beating that woman up. I'd even once told Lissa I would kill the woman for humiliating her in front of the entire Academy.

Upon opening it I noticed the beautiful handwriting. This letter wasn't from Ambrose, it was from Tatiana herself. With a shaky breath and a feeling like her ghost was somehow watching me, I began to read her last words to me.

**_Rosemarie,_**

**_I again want to thank you for what you do for our people. It is unconventional but has helped in a small way. The Strigoi are out numbering us, but with every kill you make our people are that much safer. I have been getting threats for some time and I fear this is the last letter I will be writing. What I have to say can not be told to just anyone. While we don't get along I trust you with this specific information. Your loyalty to Vasilisa in the past was remarkable and even though she has hurt you deeply please do this for her. She has a sibling out there. I don't know who it is, but I did track a bank account set up in Eric Dragomir's name. The beneficiary was never changed. Sonya Karp was that person. She is in Paris, Kentucky a little blue house near the lake. I know with the help of Adrian and Guardian Belikov you will get the answers needed. Do tell them both that they have made me very proud and that as family they should always stick together. Life is precious and I understand why you have made the choices that you have. Good luck Rosemarie._**

**_Yours truly,_**

**_Queen Tatiana Ivashkov_**


	10. Chapter Ten

_**Chapter Ten **_

I had to read the letter four times to completely wrap my brain around the words. I remembered when Adrian and I were at that bar in Vegas a drunken Moroi had been talking about Mr. Drogomir liking the dancers. Or maybe just one in particular. Apparently it had been during a bad time in his life, after his father had died, so the child had to be only a few years younger than Lissa and I. Maybe sixteen now.

There was a soft knock on the bedroom door and I looked up to see Sydney standing there. I hadn't known she'd gotten back yet. Maybe she would know something about this. I motioned her over to the bed and she sat down quietly. I handed her the letter and when she was finished she didn't even look surprised.

" You knew?" I asked overwhelmed that the news wasn't news to the alchemists.

She sighed and then nodded. She began picking at a loose thread on her perfectly straight dress pants.

" The Queen asked for my help with some information after she found out I was the one keeping records of your kills. She said I was probably more susceptible to helping her with what she needed. I'd gotten her the bank account info including the name on it, but I didn't know she had found out where Sonya was located."

It was quiet a moment and then she asked what I was going to do. Honestly I didn't know. On one hand I wanted to find this illegitimate child, because Lissa had once been my best friend and she needed to know the truth. On the other hand I didn't really know Lissa anymore and I didn't know how she would react to this kind of news.

Lissa had always wanted a relationship that mirrored what her parents had once had in life. Turns out Eric had cheated like most Moroi men, only it wasn't a dhampir. It had been a Moroi dancer. We dhampir didn't have the bodies to dance like the Moroi, and a dhampir child wouldn't matter when it came to a Quorum law. Whatever I decided to do though would have to wait until I showed this to Dimitri and Adrian. So I put all of my emotions behind a well trained Guardian mask and walked downstairs with Sydney.

They both took turns reading the contents of the letter. Dimitri showed no emotion, but Adrian played every one of his across his face.

" So that drunk off his ass Moroi had been telling the truth!" Adrian stated once he had read through the letter a second time.

" It would seem so." I agreed.

Dimitri looked confused and I forgot he had still been a Strigoi then. The only reason we had ended up in that casino was because we had run there to get away from him. So I filled him in on the tale that had been told to Adrian and I. He nodded but didn't say anything.

" What are we going to do?" Adrian asked.

While they had read the letter I'd thought of a hopefully foolproof plan in my head. But it really came down to if Dimitri would agree. Adrian loved crazy plans and Sydney would make sure I didn't leave a trail behind me.

" I want to go and do this. With Tatiana dead the council will toss Lissa out of anything political. I'm still angry with her actions, but she could change the way our world works. She has never agreed with the way all those Royals do things. She might even still be named Queen if she has a family member. She brought me back from the dead once, this is how I can repay that."

If we could pull this off I could live the rest of my life knowing I didn't leave her with no one. I'd only seen her three times while at Court and she looked miserable all of them. Of course it could back fire and she could hate me for ruining the perfect image of her dad, but I would take my chances here.

" I say if they don't find Tasha or Ethan in the next week we head to Kentucky." I stated boldly.

That Guardian mask of Dimitri's did a massive slip when I'd finished my sentence. He was angry, and curious, and scared. Of what I didn't know. Yet!

" Roza are you joking? Why would you want to put yourself out there? By now the Guardians will shoot to kill. We broke you out of jail and are hiding you. We know you didn't do anything but they don't, and they don't care."

I knew he was right, and as much as I loved it here, I couldn't sit around and do nothing. It just wasn't who I was. He knew that much hadn't changed in me, and I could see his resolve fading a tiny bit. But only because he knew I would put up a fight, and then do it anyway. No amount of years would change that in me.

Adrian and Sydney looked a little uncomfortable as Dimitri and I stared each other down. Finally Dimitri sat back down mumbling something about giving Abe a run for his money. I stifled a laugh.

" So what's your plan little dhampir?"

I knew Dimitri wouldn't like it but it was all I had to get answers out of a Strigoi.

" We drive to Paris and find the house for starters. Then I think we should find a place to rest for a day at least, because we will all need our strength."

I could tell Dimitri already didn't like my plan. Hunting down Strigoi was not something they taught at any of the Academies. Adrian and Sydney both knew I had no qualms about hunting those disgusting creatures down and ending their immortality. I had even killed a former classmate a year ago. Guardian Shane Reyes. He looked grateful as the stake slid into his heart. Although not every Strigoi was grateful about it.

" We will need to go in at sunrise. Completely surprise her. Dimitri and I can subdue her while the two of you let in as much sunlight as possible. We'll keep her chained and contained in a small area. Adrian I need you to try and charm a stake, if that doesn't work I'll torture the information out of her. If I can't get it before the sun goes down, I'll kill her."

It was quiet while they all thought it over. After a few minutes Dimitri stood up and walked towards the kitchen. We heard the back door open and then shut. I knew he would be upset that I was even thinking about this.

" It's a good plan Rose. You've thought it through, right down to making sure she can't hurt anyone else if we don't get what we need."

Sydney said from her seat on the couch. But the thing was if Adrian couldn't charm the stake to bring her back like Lissa had Dimitri, well Sonya Karp would die whether I got what I needed or not. I really hoped Adrian could do it though. I knew Mikhail still loved her and would be devastated to know we had taken her from this world forever.

I decided Dimitri had had enough time to think and went to find him. As I walked outside I saw him looking up at the night sky. It was beautiful but it paled in comparison from looking at it from Olena's porch or the Montana sky from the Academy. I would never forget either sights.

" Hey Comrade." I hoped at the use of the old nickname he would become less tense. It worked a little bit, but not by much. He continued to stare upwards. " Dimitri I have to do this."

His body went rigid and he gripped the porch railing like it had made him angry. He finally looked down at me and I could see the battle he was preparing to fight.

" Why Roza? You don't really owe her anything after what she has done to you. She pushed her darkness into you proving she can't act like an adult, but more like a petulant child. Her actions led you to Russia where I thought you had died. You did die because of her. You don't owe her anything."

He was right about most of what he said, but since reading that letter I felt this was the right thing to do. Good karma and all that. Dimitri realized I wouldn't be changing my mind and changed his tactics.

" It could be a trap." He said pleadingly.

" Adrian would have seen if Ambrose was being deceitful, it would have shown in his Aura." I retorted.

I'd thought this over. Dimitri also realized I was right about this. Working with my father had made me a strategic planner. Everything I did was planned out before anything was done. Some plans backfired just like the situation I was in now, but you couldn't foresee things like that.

" It's a good plan and in the end either way, Sonya Karp will be free." I said soothingly.

" I promised your mother and Abe that I would keep you safe." He was giving me the opportunity to change my mind, but I could see the winner here was me. His entire body relaxed and he pulled me into his arms.

" Alright if they don't find anything in a week we will go and do this." He pulled back and looked at me curiously though.

" What would you do if they found Tasha tomorrow?" He asked and I grinned widely.

" Same plan Comrade just sooner than planned out." He smiled back and rolled his eyes at me. We went back inside after that. Adrian and Sydney were watching some home improvement show on the T.V., I noticed they were sitting quite close and smiled. Maybe Sydney was the girl for him. I'd noticed since she'd said she detested smoking Adrian hadn't had a cigarette. It was a true miracle in itself.

Dimitri grabbed my hand and led me to a door under the stairs. We walked down them and into a rather large gym. It was easily the size of the house maybe a little bigger. It had all the equipment Guardians needed to stay in shape. The one we had in Turkey was bigger, but this was still impressive.

" I found it while you were upstairs earlier. I thought we could work out together in the morning. Like we used to do at the Academy." He said shyly.

I remembered our training sessions. When we had started them I wanted to kill him for the amount of laps he made me run. But I soon realized the importance of them. He was a tough love mentor who turned me back on the path I'd wanted my whole life. Things changed obviously, though I always remember his lessons with every Stigoi I have killed.

" That would be great Comrade. It's been a while and maybe we could spar and I'll show you a new thing or two." He got a far off look in his eyes and I remembered the last time we had really gone against each other he had been a Strigoi. I laid my hand on his arm to reassure him.

" It's in the past Dimitri. You have to keep moving forward." He nodded.

" I had a talk with your father about my future the day of your meeting with Tasha." I had completely forgotten about that.

" What did you talk about? What does your future look like?" He looked away from me as he spoke.

" I have the opportunity for a great Guardian position. I have been stuck standing in the back of meetings for far too long. The woman is high maintenance though and I would get very little time off."

I felt a complete serge of jealousy. While this position sounded good for him and I wouldn't stand in the way of his choice, I wanted to be able to spend time with him. But I knew how he was when it came to his Guardian duties. It's what made me love him in the first place.

"I'm glad you have this opportunity. You deserve it, she is lucky to have you protecting her." I said with a forced smile.

He smiled back and I tried to make mine more genuine, even thought I felt hollow inside. We could figure it out though. Make it work for us.

" Yes I believe you are correct. You are lucky to have me." It took my brain a few seconds to catch what he had said. When I did I smiled, and then his words hit me full force and I punched him in the arm.

" High maintenance, little time off!" He laughed while rubbing his arm. That laugh, I had missed it so much. I was glad to bring it out of him.

We headed back upstairs and watched some tv with Adrian and Sydney. Eventually the past few days caught up with us all and we headed to bed. Sydney set the security system so if anyone or thing came in any door or window we would know about it. And with that in place sleep came easily.

* * *

_**A/N: To save time here, Adrian and Dimitri have known they were cousins for about a year. **_


	11. Chapter Eleven

_**Chapter Eleven **_

" There are only so many places he can be hiding. I want Ethan Moore in front of me. Find him now Luka!"

I slammed the phone down harder than I should have, but that parasite had evaded us long enough. Even Guardian Croft had become suspicious of Moore's absence. Eddie, Christian, and Vika were on their way back to Court. No luck finding that Ozera woman. She had planned the death of the Queen well. But when Rose came back from the dead she found a way to implicate her in the whole thing. Who knows what unlucky bastard had the role first.

I don't know who was angrier, myself or Janine. She has also been out looking for him. There has to be something we are missing here. But what is it? The only comfort I have is for the last four days my daughter has been safe. Sure we were all questioned when they found her missing from her cell, but we all had an alibi. Vasilisa actually helped with that. She even gave Ivashkov one. I would not let the council execute my daughter.

I looked up as Janine stormed into my office. She was my fiery wife and together we were unstoppable. I knew she was worried about Rose. They didn't have a great past as mother and daughter, but they had become close over the last two years. I could see it was killing her to have this charge put on our daughter. When we found both of our targets I'm sure they will be begging for my punishments instead of Janines. She could be quite cruel if needed or pushed hard enough.

Normally she was clear headed about all things. She had even taken Rose and Belikovs reunion well.

That is until the statements our Rose made in Court. It was hard for Luka and I to hold her back when he'd knocked on the door later that evening. It was Vika's crying that had finally made her stop. None of us wanted her upset in her condition, this charge on Rose was enough on all of us.

" I'm worried Abe. I don't know where else to look. If we don't find him here at Court, we will never find her out of these walls." My wife said despairingly.

I didn't care how long it took I would find Natasha Ozera. She was the main goal here, Ethan helped her carry it out, but that woman planned the whole thing. By her leaving him here hiding like a scared rat proves that he was a pawn in her game.

" We will find them both. I just need to think." And then an idea came to me. I didn't know if it would pan out, but it was worth the shot in the dark.

" Janine, can you get Vasilisa and bring her here? She knows you and might feel better than if I sent Luka." She nodded and stood. I could tell she was just grateful to be doing something. I hoped my idea would be accurate because if it was, we would find Ethan hiding there. I don't know why it took me so long to think about it.

An hour later the Princess was sitting in front of me utterly confused.

" Wait you want me to do what? And Tasha did this! She killed Queen Tatiana? Are you certain?"

Janine and I had explained everything we knew to her. To say she was shocked would be an understatement. I knew it would be a lot for her to take in and I hoped we could trust her. She had played a role in getting Rose out of here and I was banking on the fact that she still cared for my daughter.

" I just want you to call Natasha about a place she may have acquired here. Make up whatever you want, but it needs to be believable." I stared her down and she nodded and pulled out her phone. Janine and Luka stood on either side of me waiting patiently.

" Put it on speaker Princess." Janine said as nicely as she could. She was still angry about the stunt the Princess had pulled with the bond she and Rose once shared. Vasilisa nodded and dialed. With her phone on speaker she placed it on my desk. After four rings the other end was answered.

" Liss how are you?"

Natasha sounded cheery. I had to bite my tongue to keep quiet. Luka ground his teeth and Janine was clenching and unclenching her fists.

" Not so good Tash, are you still here at Court?" Vasilisa sounded shaky. Like she was close to falling apart.

" No sweetie I'm at home. What's wrong?" Tasha said back with all the fake concern in the world.

We were all holding our breath wondering how this would play out. I didn't like putting plans in other people's hands. I liked knowing exactly how it would go, and usually it was always my way.

" The council is removing me from the palace. Aaron left me. And they froze my accounts and took my families home because they think I helped Rose."

There was a long silence on Natasha's end and I had to lean forward to make sure she hadn't terminated the call. She hadn't.

" Well Christian and Dimkas sister now own his parents house, but I do have an apartment at Court now. Ethan got it for us a few weeks ago. I'll call him and tell him your going to be staying till this mess is sorted. They have to know you didn't aid Rose in killing our beloved Tatiana." She said in a sugar sweet voice making us all cringe.

Natasha gave the Princess the address and Lissa thanked her as Janine wrote it down. Not that I would forget it.

" Oh Liss, do call and tell me when Roses' trial is set for."

Wherever she was and we knew it wasn't her home, she was completely out of the loop. It seems she hadn't even talked with Ethan Moore since she'd left. Because I'm sure he knew about Rose breaking out and us looking for him. Which could mean the address she had given us could very well be a bust.

" Oh Tash you didn't hear?" Lissa said in a voice full of authority.

" Hear what? It didn't already happen did it?" She sounded frantic about missing it.

" No it didn't. She escaped the day after her hearing. And it seems Guardian Belikov helped her." The Princess said faking sympathy rather well I might add.

" What?" Natasha shrieked so loud we all jumped. " Why would Dimka do something so stupid for a blood whore that murdered our Queen? Now if the Guardians find them they will shoot him for helping her. She deserves whatever she gets, but Dimka and I were making plans. We wanted a family. She lied you know, in Court. Dimka was with me the night of the murder."

We all sat still with a rage burning inside us. I could even see the Princess fighting to stay calm. She knew without a doubt now that we had told her the truth. Vasilisa pointed to the door of my office and mimicked beating on it. Luka walked over and did just that.

" Oh Tash I have to go they've sent some Guardians to escort me out of here. I'll call you when I hear some news okay." Lissa said again playing scared.

" Okay sweetie take care of yourself." And Lissa hung up without saying goodbye. She looked like she might be sick at any moment.

" What I did to Rose was wrong. I was angry and the darkness inside me fed off that, until I was so angry I pushed it onto her. I felt horrible for it but it was done. I couldn't take it back. But this.." she said pointing to her phone. " This is disgusting. She has ruined many lives by this one act alone. I know where her home is. Why don't you send someone there?"

" She isn't there! Eddie, Christian, and Vika have been there. She lied to you about that also." Janine said while I chose to remain silent and see where this would go.

She slumped in her chair at the statement. It was one none of us were happy about. Then as she straightened up and said her next words I knew she was completely on our side.

" Let's go see what Guardian Moore knows." I wouldn't call him a Guardian, but she was raised a Royal.

* * *

Janine and Luka were positioned on one side of the door, and I was on the other side. That way if he looked out of the peep hole all he would see was the Dragomir Princess.

Vasilisa took a deep breath and then knocked. It took a few minutes but finally we heard someone on the other side of the door. I couldn't believe Croft hadn't found out about this apartment yet.

" Who's there?" Apparently Ethan Moore was not intelligent enough for a peep hole.

" It's Lissa! Didn't Tasha call you and tell you I was coming? She said I could stay here until the council gave me my parents home back." She said through the door. She was putting on a good show of being close to tears. I could use someone like her around. Ethan was quiet for a long time and I could see Janine close to breaking the door down.

" Tasha hasn't called me since she left Court. But hang on I will let you in."

From our end we heard a series of locks being undone, there was no way we would have broke that down. As the last lock was done, Luka pulled Lissa to the side and I stepped up to the door as it opened.

I'll give the boy some credit he was quick to try and shut it back, but he was not quick enough. I kicked it back open showing him the power I would hold over him. Looking around as I walked in I let out a whistle.

" My what a nice place you and Natasha have here." he reached in his pants pocket for a phone I presumed. I tsked at him. " I wouldn't do that boy." I growled.

He pulled his hand out pretty quickly and backed up against the wall. This was someone chosen to guard our Queen? Seemed he was lacking in everything that job entailed.

" Luka take his phone and find a nice place to subdue our Guardian friend here. And uh make sure it is somewhere we can clean easily hmm?" I smiled and Moore started shaking. Like I said he was lacking a backbone.

Once he was tied up and unable to go anywhere I started my questioning.

" So you say you haven't spoken to Ms. Ozera?" A quick look through his phone proved he had not lied about that. But the boy had to know something. You didn't walk into committing a crime like this blindly.

* * *

After hours of different techniques in questioning I found this little parasite did in fact go in knowing none of the facts. Nor did Natasha Ozera tell him where she was going to hide just to be safe. This boy simply loved her. I wasn't ready to turn him over to Croft yet though. I wanted to see if he could remember anything that would be of use and lead us to her.


	12. Chapter Twelve

_**Chapter Twelve **_

I was in mine and Dimitris' room going over the list I had made for Sydney. We were leaving in two days and she was going to go out tomorrow and get what we needed. If it all worked out as I hoped Sonya would be a Moroi again, Lissa could still be the next Queen and would have a sibling again. I was still upset with her past actions but Adrian had finally told me she'd been a part of getting me out of that cell. I felt it made my debt to her that much greater. I was sure she would be shocked at having a sibling created in an unfaithful act on her fathers part, but she could and would go far in having the sibling.

" Rose?"

I looked up to see Adrian standing in the doorway. I had been so lost in my own thoughts I hadn't known he was there. He shifted from one foot to the other indicating he had his own thoughts reeking havoc on his mind. The only problem was his mind could become a dark place for him to get stuck in. Which is why I'd added an anti-depressant to the list of stuff for Sydney to pick up. Just in case reverting Sonya to a Moroi did damage to Adrian's mind.

" What's up?" I asked.

He walked into the room and sat down on the chaise lounge under the window.

" I figured out the charm so hopefully I can pack enough Spirit behind it to work." Adrian said a bit despondently.

But this was excellent news, figuring out the charm was half the battle. But I knew there was more to why he'd come in here. I urged him to continue, to which he did reluctantly.

" I spoke to your father finally."

He had been trying to do so for two days but it seemed my father just hadn't slept at all. I was worried about that. He would do that when he was worked up about something daunting. Pavel would try to take over when it seemed my father was at his breaking point, but the man wouldn't rest until he was satisfied with whatever it was.

" Well?" I asked

" Lissa got a hold of Tasha telling her she had no where to go and wondering if she was still at Court. Tasha told her she was not but had recently gotten a place with Moore that no one knew about."

He stopped talking and I could already tell we would be leaving in two days with Dimitri and I still being wanted fugitives.

" They found Moore and Abe said he went at him hard, but he really doesn't know where Tasha is. They're not giving up though. Abe says he is going to wait a few more days to hand him over to Guardian Croft, just in case he forgot to tell them something."

I nodded. It was of no use though. Tasha was smart. She wouldn't have told him where she was going because she knew she was leaving him behind. She couldn't risk him dropping her secret hiding spot to anyone. I didn't know if I would ever have my name cleared. I guess Ethan Moore could help with that , but that depended on how much he cared for Natasha Ozera.

I knew she didn't care for him though. You don't commit treason and leave the person who loves you enough, to go against everything he stood for to help you, behind to clean up your mess. That's not love, that's considered abuse of someone's feelings.

Natasha Ozera was a sick and twisted bitch. She couldn't have always been that way though. When I had first met her outside of that old Guardian cabin I had liked her. And even at the ski lodge when she was pursuing Dimitri, I could see the vision she had for Moroi working along side their Guardians. I'd appreciated the importance and brilliance of her vision. What had happened to that woman?

The Queen on several occasions, according to Adrian, also wanted it to go back to both races fighting for our survival. She wanted her people to have the choice to do as they wanted though. She was finally trying to push through something Tasha had been advocating for years for. And she had murdered her in cold blood.

" I've been trying to get into her dreams, but I don't think she is sleeping. Or she is on a different time schedule across the world now."

I didn't think she would leave the country, she wanted too badly to come back for my trial. No she was probably so unhinged right now that she couldn't sleep. But when she finally crashed hopefully Adrian could get in there and use her mind to dream up where she was. But that would have to wait right now. He needed to be mentally strong for what we had to do.

I told him as much and he agreed.

" So you and Sydney have been getting along pretty good." I stated changing the subject to things we could control right now.

" Yeah she is pretty great. I've never met an alchemist that's okay with our races. I met a few that had open meetings with my Aunt. They would send two of them a month to go over Strigoi numbers and how they were getting greater instead of lesser. They would also go over the kills that had been made, and if she could she would contact the families to let them know their relative had been released from that state."

I had underestimated the old woman, it seems she did greatly care for all of her people. But the council constantly put her in a bad situation with their backwards way of thinking.

" Do you think it could turn into something more? I haven't ever seen the two of you at ease with anyone like you are with each other."

Adrian looked at me like I'd lost my mind. Sydney was human and if our world thought two dhampirs wanting to be together was taboo, then a Moroi and human together would make their heads explode. But I was all for being with the person you loved no matter who they were. And sticking it to the system was always fun.

" I don't know Rose, I'm all for breaking some rules and doing things to piss people off. But Sydney doesn't seem like that type of person. I think we could stay friends though. If the alchemists will let her that is."

He didn't deny having feelings for Sydney, but I could see the inner turmoil he was also facing. I would hold out hope though because I didn't want my friend to be alone. And Sydney had been defying her people by helping me out all of these years, but my father also had her back when it came to them.

" If it's meant to be it will happen no matter who gets angry. Just hope no one pins a murder on you to get Sydney back."

Adrian nodded seemingly lost in his own thoughts. He was greatly upset by the death of his Aunt, and then to have the murder pinned on his friend was just sick. I left him to his mind knowing he needed it, and went down stairs to give Sydney the list.

" Where's Dimitri?" I asked her when I walked into the kitchen. She pointed downstairs indicating he was in the gym. Of course, the closer we got to leaving the more nervous and agitated he seemed to become. I truly believed this was for the best though. It would change so much for our world. Lissa had great views which she'd voiced at the ski lodge that night a few years ago. Everyone had agreed with her when she was finished talking. She just had a way with people.

I gave Sydney the list, she looked it over and said none of it would be a problem. I briefly thought about talking to her about Adrian, but decided I needed to deal with my own relationship right now. Those two would figure it out eventually anyway.

Dimitri was hard at work trying to kill the punching bag in front of him. After watching a few minutes I decided to put the poor thing out of its misery.

" Hey Comrade." I said loudly to be heard over each hit to the bag.

He hit the bag three more times and then turned towards me breathing hard. He walked over to the small table in the corner and grabbed his bottle of water chugging it down. I waited for him to say something when he was finished but he didn't.

" I know you're mad Dimitri, but please just try to understand why this could benefit everyone we know. If Lissa was Queen she may be able to change everything for the Moroi and Dhampir. I know I'm not a Guardian anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't want what's best for our race. Your little niece or nephew, even Paul could be treated better." I knew it was a low blow using his family, but we'd argued for days now after I thought he'd understood me.

Dimitri sat down on the weights bench and put his face in his hands. I didn't want him to be upset with me, but I had been so used to making my own decisions the past two years I couldn't help but to do it now also. He was going back and forth, while I was standing firm.

" Do you want to go somewhere for a little while?" He looked up at me and for the second time in half an hour I got the are crazy look. Maybe I was.

* * *

Twenty minutes later and we were on the road. It was the first time we had left the house since we'd arrived and it felt good to be out of there.

The sun would be setting in an hour and I wanted to get where we were going before that happened, so I went a little over the speed limit. Not enough to attract unwanted attention though.

The beach was just as nice as when I'd been here with Lissa when we were on the run. The dream with Adrian when I was in Spokane hadn't really done it justice.

Dimitri and I hadn't spoken since he agreed to come out here with me. Honestly I was getting tired of this.

" I came here with Lissa once. But she couldn't handle the sun so we didn't stay long."

Dimitri looked around the empty space we stood on. It was quiet for this time of year for that I was grateful, since we probably shouldn't have come somewhere so public. But I had really missed this place for reasons I didn't even know. Maybe just the fact that even though we were on the run, it had been a simpler time in my life.

" It's nice." Dimitri said. We settled down on the sand and after a couple of minutes he wrapped his arm around me as we watched the sun set. It was beautiful and I was glad we'd come here tonight.

" I do understand Roza. I'm just scared, if we're caught they won't hesitate to shoot you. I went almost two years thinking you were dead. I don't want to actually watch that happen. I will not watch you die, do you understand!"

I did understand. I knew the risk we were taking here. But we'd taken the same risk in driving to Portland too.

I leaned over and grabbed his face trying to make him understand I shared the same fears in our kiss. But I also tried to make him understand we could do this. Our kiss turned animalistic quickly and soon enough we were exploring each other in ways we probably shouldn't have been in a public area. But as we came together in more ways than one it didn't matter where we were because we were together.

* * *

The drive back to the house was once again silent, but this time it was a blissful silence. One where we were on the same page. The lights were on so I knew Adrian and Sydney were still awake.

" It's just us." I said as we walked through the door.

" Wow! What did you two go off and do? Your auras are like super Nova's."

I smacked Adrian in the back of the head and Sydney laughed. We settled in to watch some television, it was another do it yourself house project show. Sydney had always talked about architecture in Russia, and all the other places she wanted to travel to. Maybe I could take her on a much needed vacation when all of this was said and done.

Maybe all four of us could take a long vacation. I sure could use some more beach action.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

_**Chapter Thirteen **_

" Are you sure you want to do this? We could go back to Portland and pretend we never left."

Sydney was babbling in the drivers seat. Much like Dimitri she'd insisted on driving her baby the whole way here. I wouldn't blame her if she left, she was human and wasn't trained to protect herself. But I was not going anywhere now that we were actually here.

" Syd it's okay, we'll be in the sunlight the whole time and we have the two most bad ass dhampir with us."

Adrian's words seemed to calm her and I could feel myself smirk at the gesture. It was much like Dimitri and I. With the sun finally up I stepped out of the vehicle and opened the back hatch. I pulled out the chains and locks to keep Sonya secured to whatever we could get her to. I pulled the stake for Adrian from my bag and made sure mine was secure also.

Sydney took the chains from me and her and Adrian stayed close to the car, but in sight of the front door so they would know when to bring it all in. Dimitri and I went around back to the fence that surrounded the back yard.

It hadn't been hard to find Sonya Karp. She'd loved plants as a Moroi and the old habit had seemed to follow her into her undead life.

Dimitri gave me a boost over the fence and then as quietly as he could climbed over also. I spotted a wheelbarrow and grabbed it. Dimitri was by my side as I counted to three and then ran full force putting the wheelbarrow through the patio door. She'd probably heard us come over the fence anyway. So the element of surprise was not with us. We came through the door still covered by the light-thanks to the shattered glass-from outside. A quick scan of the kitchen we were in told me she wasn't in this room.

We walked out of the safety of the sun and that's when I saw her by the front door, waiting for us. Dimitri and I both took an offensive stance and readied ourselves for the battle to begin. She lunged for me, being the smaller threat, but Dimitri kicked her in the side making her fumble. She jumped back righting herself and decided to go after him instead.

She wouldn't turn her back on me while her and Dimitri fought, but what she didn't know was we didn't want her dead. I got my chance and swiped my stake across the back of her head. She let a screech out that almost made me cringe, but it was the very opening we needed. There was a chair sitting in the middle of the room and we each grabbed an arm and slung her into it.

She fought against us and Dimitri gained control holding her as best he could for the next part of he plan. I ran back to the kitchen and broke a wooden chair. Taking the leg of the chair I ran back just in time to see Sonya buck up almost knocking Dimitri away. I ran my stake across her arm and Dimitri regained complete control. I saw my opening and pushed the chair leg into her heart.

It wouldn't kill her but it stunned her giving us a few minutes. I ran to the door and kicked it open letting Adrian and Sydney know they could come on. Dimitri ran and grabbed another chair leg while I ripped the black out curtains down. The sun light didn't reach her but she would only have limited room out of the light streaming in.

We were back at the chair when she started to coming back around. I pulled the chair leg out and Dimitri shoved the other one in. Sydney ran through the door chains and locks in hand. We started wrapping the chains around her shoulders, torso, legs, and ankles. We got the last lock clicked in place when she came around for the second time.

I pulled the second chair leg out and tossed it to the floor with the other one. She was pissed and I guess I couldn't really blame her. Getting anything shoved through your chest probably hurt pretty bad.

" I'll kill you. You can't keep me chained here forever dhampir. When I get out of here..." She screeched at me.

" Yeah yeah, you'll kill us all. I've heard this plenty of times. We're going to try something new though, so really either way we go you won't be killing anyone."

She was screaming things not even I would say at this point. With Dimitri watching her I turned to Adrian.

" Are you ready?" I asked enthusiastically.

He nodded and walked towards the three of us. Sydney stayed by the door. Adrian looked nervous but hell I didn't blame him, Moroi didn't go towards Strigoi they ran away from them.

Sonya stopped her verbal assault on us and watched Adrian carefully.

" What is this pathetic Moroi going to do? Are you trying to play Guardian boy?" She laughed out.

" Why yes actually that's why we are all here. So I can be the hero or at least pretend I am." Adrian shot back bravely.

She stopped laughing as Adrian gripped the stake with both hands. With a concentrated look he shoved the stake through the almost healed mark the chair leg had left. At first I didn't think anything would happen and that we had lost our chance to figure out who we were looking for.

But then a bright white light surrounded us all and I lost my balance and fell. Dimitri was standing over me helping me up in seconds, and when we both looked over at Sonya we were speechless.

It had worked. She was a Moroi.

Sonya was crying and failing miserably to move in her chains. Sydney was helping Adrian to the couch and giving him the bottle of vodka I'd told her to bring in. Dimitri went over and took the chains off and gave Sonya a comforting hug. I walked over to the couch to check on Adrian.

" Look Rose I'm not useless like my father said I was. I did it." Adrian said with a tired smile

I smiled back at him.

You've never been useless Adrian. Are you feeling okay?"

He sat a moment and then nodded his head taking a drink from the bottle. Sydney was hovering over him in case he needed anything at all.

" Okay get some sleep alright, when you wake up I'll have your blood bags in the fridge."

He nodded and I went to where Dimitri and Sonya were sitting. Sonya wasn't crying anymore but she wasn't completely calm either. Her and Dimitri were talking in hushed hurried voices and I headed to get some air instead of interrupting.

I walked out of the back door and looked around the oasis Sonya had made for herself. It was peaceful out here, maybe when all was said and done I could hire Sonya to do this kind of thing with the homes I sell.

I don't know how long I was outside before strong arms encircled me. Dimitri placed a kiss on top of my head and we stood there peacefully ignoring the battle we'd just went through.

" That was an amazing thing to witness." He finally said. I nodded. I had now seen it twice and it was really a beautiful thing to see.

" Where is Ms. Karp?" I asked quietly.

" She is sleeping upstairs. I think we should be up there when she wakes though." He replied.

Yeah we needed answers as soon as she was ready to talk. I just hoped she was willing to give them. We walked back inside and I had to fight back the smile when I saw the sight in front of me.

Adrian was asleep with his head in Sydney's lap, and she was absent mindedly running her fingers through his hair. I didn't care what either of them said, there was a romance budding here and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Upstairs Sonya was sound asleep on her bed. I took the chair at Dimitris insistence and he took the floor in front of me. It didn't take long before his breathing evened out and he was also asleep. He'd been so on edge about this whole thing and now that this part of it was over he could finally relax.

* * *

It was nearing sunset and I seemed to be the only one awake still. Sydney had fallen asleep in the floor beside the couch, where Adrian was still sleeping soundly. Sonya hadn't moved an inch, and Dimitri was now flat on his back in the bedroom floor.

I was downstairs trying to find something to eat after I'd brought Adrian's blood in from the cooler we had, when I felt the presence of someone behind me. I reached for my stake knowing damn well if there was a Strigoi behind me I was probably dead already. I turned around as fast as I could readying myself for a fight, only to find Sonya behind me.

" I'm so sorry Rose, or should I say Guardian Hathaway now!" She said in way of an apology.

I made a noise in the back of my throat that I hadn't intended.

" I'm not a Guardian, well not sanctioned anyway. I still try to do my part though. Just in my own way."

She nodded. I put my stake back in its place now that I knew there wasn't a threat. Sonya was looking at me curiously now, like she had so many times after the accident.

" You're not connected to the Princess anymore. Did something happen to her, is that why you're not a Guardian now?" She commented.

Of course she could read auras. I could see how she would come to the conclusion Lissa was gone since I was very much alive in front of her.

" Lissa is fine although we aren't close anymore. I left Court after some things happened and one night in Russia the group I was with was attacked by Strigoi. I was thrown into a tree that severed my spinal cord from my brain and I died. Adrian was with us and he and my friend Eddie brought me back."

I said motioning to where Adrian still slept. She looked between us closely.

" But you're not bound to him or anyone?" She questioned.

" No Adrian healed my spinal injury and Eddie did CPR until I was breathing and my heart beat on its own."

A look of shock ran across her face but she recovered quickly. She seemed to be recovering quickly from all of this. I mean at sunrise she was a Strigoi and at sunset she was a Moroi again. Here she was having a weird conversation but carried it out as if it were normal. Dimitris transformation had left him with so much guilt it had almost eaten him alive. Sonya seemed fine to me. Which spurred my next set of questions.

" Sonya, Lissa is actually the reason we are here. Queen Tatiana wrote me a letter shortly before she was murdered. She told me about a child Eric Dragomir had. Her research ended with you. Do you know who we're looking for?"

Sonya put her hands in her hair and began pulling at it. She kept repeating the word No over and over again each time getting louder. Adrian and Sydney were awake now and staring at the two of us, eyes wide. Sonya grabbed my shoulders and started to shake me.

" You can't know about this. It was promised no one would know. Queen Tatiana shouldn't have told you anything."

She was shaking me hard now and then she wasn't. Dimitri was standing between us now.

" What is going on here?"

He growled. Sonya was looking at us all one after another with her hands shoved in her hair again. She looked like a madman. Adrian walked over to her and she cringed away from him, but he grabbed her hand and slid his watch onto her arm.

" That should help Sonya." He said and within a few minutes she was calm again, and the only indication that something had been wrong was her hair was a mess.

" She was trying to look at all of our auras at the same time. She lit up like she was on fire and I watched the darkness take hold. It was too much for her after not touching the magic in years. I charmed the watch before we came in case I needed it." Adrian spoke calmly.

I guess that made sense, but I had seen Lissa use heaps of Spirit healing people before the darkness would get to her. Adrian looked at auras all day long and he said he only got a little crazy once a month.

" I'm sorry Rose. I didn't mean to shake you, and it wasn't just your auras I was looking at. I'd also been trying to dream walk Mikhail. I just wanted to see how he was doing." Sonya said sheepishly.

I guess she really had overloaded herself right out of the gate.

" I just can't tell you about the child though. I made promises to almost everyone involved." Everyone aside from said child and Lissa I guessed.

"We're just trying to help Lissa. Please isn't there something you could tell us?" I begged.

She started shaking her head no and Dimitri pulled me out the back door. Not that this was private thanks to the hole I had put there earlier today.

" Roza can't you tell she isn't ready to talk? You have no idea what she's going through. The things she did as a Strigoi. You can't come out of that and be okay."

I understood his point but I did not appreciate the attitude he had right now.

" Listen Dimitri I'm not your ignorant teenage student anymore. So don't treat me like I am. She was acting just fine before I brought up the entire reason we are even here. I mean she was even okay enough to try and find her lover in dream land."

I was getting louder with each sentence I spat out at him, so I just stopped so I wouldn't draw attention to us. But I was still seething at being treated like I wasn't an adult. I'd done a lot of growing up in the last two years, well aside from faking my own death that is.

I watched as the anger seemed to evaporate from his system and he reached out to touch my arm. I took a step back and walked out into the garden a few more steps. I needed time to cool off a bit and he seemed to realize this. He didn't go back inside, but he remained quiet.

It didn't take long for me to realize how childish I was being right now. I'd lashed out at him for worrying about how someone else was coping with the same thing he'd gone through. And her body count was definitely much higher than Dimitris had been.

I'd pushed him then and I'd pushed her now. I turned and was glad he was still there. Just watching me. I stepped towards him and he opened his arms for me. We stood there holding each other. Standing here like this felt right. Like nothing from the past two years or Dimitris time as a Strigoi had torn us apart.

" Hey guys, sorry to interrupt but we have figured a few things out in here."


	14. Chapter Fourteen

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

We followed Sydney back through the kitchen and to the living room. Adrian and Sonya were sitting in the floor facing each other and holding hands. They had their eyes closed and one would think they were meditating, only I knew what they were doing. Or at least I think I did. Oksana and I had done the exact same position when I'd needed to talk Lissa off of that window sill from Russia.

After five minutes of watching this I turned towards Sydney.

" I thought we came in because you three had figured something out. I didn't know this was it!" I said pointing at the two Spirit users oblivious to everything around them.

" We had but I don't know what they're doing now. They weren't like this when I went to get the two of you."

She said back in what I had come to know as the ' your Hathaway attitude doesn't scare me' tone of voice. I wasn't in the mood though. Honestly I was tired and irritable, and that was putting it mildly. I motioned my hands for her to continue and quickly.

" Well I talked Sonya into taking me to this child's home." Sydney said matter of fact. I smiled knowing this was another step in the right direction, it also improved my mood some. I was about to tell her good job when Adrian and Sonya came back around.

" We got it Rose!" Adrian said excitedly.

" That's great but what did you get exactly?" I said skeptically. He was smiling and almost bouncing out of his skin.

" We know where Tasha is!" My mouth dropped open and I couldn't string a single word together. Dimitri having no such problems asked what I couldn't.

" How? Where is she?" He almost shouted.

" Well I've been trying to get into her dreams, but couldn't. I could never catch her asleep. I felt a pull from her though and Sonya helped me get in there without her knowing we were there. We made her think she wanted to dream about where she was and it worked."

He was talking fast and pacing back and forth now. I could see all of the spirit use was starting to get to him and he was heading to crazy town, and very soon. Sydney could see it also and placed her hand on his arm. He looked down at her and calmed instantly. The impact she had on him after just a few days together was amazing.

" Where is she Adrian?" Sydney asked in a calm, caring voice.

" She's at St. Vladimir's in an old cabin by the wards." He said a bit smugly.

Dimitri and I looked at each other, we knew exactly which cabin. It had been where we let go and gave in to all of our desires. And thinking of Tasha in there made me angry yes, but I also smirked at the fact that she was sleeping where the man she wants and the woman she framed had had sex for the first time.

And then I began to laugh. I couldn't help it nor could I stop. Like I said before I was tired.

" What is so funny?" Sydney asked like she thought I was one second from snapping for good, and becoming Queen of crazy town.

" The bed Tasha is so comfortably sleeping is where Dimitri and I had sex for the first time. It's where we promised to love each other no matter what happened, and it's where he promised to keep me from going crazy."

I was laughing harder now.

" Doesn't seem like you kept that last promise." Adrian deadpanned to Dimitri. I stopped laughing not enjoying his comment, and he threw his hands up.

" It was a joke little dhampir."

His comment brought me back from my hysterical state though.

" Are you two sure?" Dimitri asked with a look that said he also had not appreciated Adrian's comment. Joke or not.

" I'm sure because that was the cabin Mikhail and I would sneak off to as well." Sonya said with a far off smile.

I visibly shuttered. It was not what I wanted stuck in my head when I thought of our cabin in the woods. I looked at Dimitri and I could see that he was thinking the same thing I was.

We needed to call my father and end this. Now! But how could we get in touch with him? Adrian needed a break and Sonya didn't know my father. Well as far as I knew.

* * *

An hour later we were setting up a cheap pre-paid phone and it was more annoying than I thought possible. Sydney and Sonya had gone down to a convenience store and purchased everything we needed including some food. Thankfully Adrian had enough blood bags left for both Moroi. I knew it wasn't ideal for them but it was all we had.

With the phone set up I typed in Abe's number and then hit send. Sydney had managed to find the oldest flip phone ever made. She said it couldn't be traced and even if it could we would be gone by tomorrow regardless of anything that happened with this phone call.

He picked up on the fifth ring.

" Mazur." He said irritated to be getting the call from an unknown number I'm sure.

" Baba" I said just happy to hear his voice.

Silence, but I could hear him rustling around and the voices in the background disappeared.

" Why are you calling? We are only supposed to communicate through dreams." He said sounding a little nervous.

" I know but we know where she is. We found Tasha." I said completely keyed up now.

" Where is she?" He growled. I know my father wanted to get his hands on her, but I needed someone to know what she had done before that could happen. And I'm sure he could still make it happen.

" You need to come meet me. There is a small air field two counties over from where we are in Kentucky." I said quickly.

" Kentucky? Why in the hell are you there little girl?" He was mad as I knew he would be, so I explained everything and he promised to keep it to himself.

" I should have known you wouldn't stay put and just let us help you." He stated sounding tired.

" Yeah well that's not who I am. Plus this will rock our world, and the Council wont be able to stop Tatiana's wishes for Lissa to be the next Queen. I may not have been a huge fan of Tatiana's, but she cared for our people and she thought Lissa would continue to carry on her work."

He agreed with me and I could hear the irritation at the fact that I hadn't listened dissipate.

" I need you to bring Guardian Croft and Ethan Moore with you. I don't care how you do it just get Croft here. We will need him to arrest Tasha and bring her in. No one will take our word for it. Just try to get him to keep an open mind." I just needed him to bring Ethan so we could make sure he didn't go anywhere.

" I'll get it done kiz. But you tell Belikov, Ivashkov, and Miss Sage I'd like to have a word with them when we're done with this."

Great! We made plans to meet at the airstrip by noon tomorrow and got off the phone. Sydney turned it off and removed the battery putting it all in her bag. I relayed everything said between me and my father and Adrian groaned.

" I don't want to have this conversation with Abe. He already threatened to disembowel me when we dated." Adrian groaned again. Dimitri visibly gulped and I had to stifle a laugh.

" Yeah crack up over there Rose. He's your father, he loves you. He has no attachments to us."

Sydney said motioning to the three of them. But she smiled at me knowing I wouldn't let him hurt any of them in any way. They weren't just my friends, they were my unconventional family. Add in Eddie, Christian and Vika, Luka, mom and baba, Pavel and Keaton and we were all complete.

" So we were talking while you were on the phone with Abe. Sydney, Sonya, and I are going to leave in the morning to go and retrieve or just talk to Lissa's sibling. He or she would only be sixteen so he or she would not be old enough to decide without parental permission. Sonya is going to try to reason with the mother since they're family." Adrian stated laying out what they'd discussed.

" And I will call you with all of the details." Sydney chimed in.

I didn't like the thought of them going to do this on their own. I also knew I wouldn't be able to stop them. Adrian had been traveling without Guardians before. But as I thought about it an idea worked its way into my head.

" Can you guys just come to the airstrip with us tomorrow? Luka or Eddie will probably come with Baba. I would feel better if a Guardian went with you." I asked

The three of them agreed to my request and everyone decided to go get some rest for the next few days. Sonya went upstairs, Adrian and Sydney went back to their make shift bed and couch, and Dimitri and I went into the kitchen.

It wasn't long before the house was silent, the only thing you could hear were the occasional soft snore from Adrian. Dimitri and I were alone. I jumped up seating myself on the edge of the counter top, Dimitri positioned his body between my legs.

" It's almost over Roza, what do you want to do when you have your freedom back?"

I leaned back on the counter and put a finger to my lip acting like I was thinking hard. I smiled at Dimitri and sat closer to him running the same finger down his chest and stomach my trail ending at his belt. His eyes were getting darker and they were sexy as hell.

" I want to take you to Istanbul since you'll be my big strong protector. I want to show you my room, my bed is exceptionally comfortable. I think I'd like to tie you to that bed and have my way with you. But then again I guess that would be abuse on my Guardian. You could probably.."

I didn't get to finish because he slammed his mouth to mine. I ground myself against him and could feel just what my words had done for him. He broke this kiss breathing hard in my ear as I attacked his neck.

" Roza, god don't start something we can not finish right now." he groaned.

I reached down and undid his belt cutting his words off with a kiss, while sliding my hand into his pants and stroking him. He made a sound in the back of his throat and I had to stifle my own moan. There was a partial wall hiding us from the occupants in the living room, so as long as we could be quiet we could do this.

" We can do this. I need to feel you Dimitri. Please." I begged.

That's all it took. The leggings I had been wearing were on the floor along with my underwear. He tested to see if I was ready for him and then slowly slid into my folds. With my legs wrapped around him he moved in and out of me at a fast pace. It didn't take long for each of us to orgasm and I had to bite down on his shoulder as he groaned in my ear. It was exotic and I found myself clamping down on him in another orgasm.

When we were finished Dimitri quietly got me a wet rag so I could clean myself up. Once dressed we moved back outside and sat in blissful silence.

" What do you really want to do Roza? We can do that anywhere we go. You won't be tied down by a murder charge and I won't be tied down guarding Council Meetings. We could go anywhere, do anything." He sounded excited.

I really thought about it this time and I quickly came up with an idea.

" I would like to go and see your family for a while and then get back to work. I love what I do now."

He nodded.

" I would love that very much."

We settled back into silence and I fell asleep on his shoulder as he held me close to him.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

" Are you sure you want to do this Roza? They could arrest you the second they get off your father's plane. We could leave now and Sonya, Sydney and Adrian can lead them to Tasha." Dimitri murmured in my ear.

I grabbed his hands in mine and looked into the brown eyes that held so much love for me, compassion for all, and bloodlust for the undead monsters we faced throughout our life.

" I do want to do this Comrade. I trust you and my father to keep me safe from anything."

He nodded his head and then Sydney announced the arrival of my fathers plane. I turned and watched as it hit the runway and finally came to a stop. The door opened and the steps were let down. Eddie and Luka came down first walking over and standing in front of me. Dimitri took a protective stance behind me.

Next Guardian Croft came down the stairs followed by Guardian Mikhail Tanner. Sonya let out a squeal and he stopped on the bottom step. He was looking at her half in awe and half in fear despite the sun beating down.

" It's me Mikhail. I'm back, they brought me back to you."

He took a faltering step towards her and then he ran to her picking her up and twirling her around. It was such a sweet moment. I became upset because I'd longed for that to have been Dimitri and I when he'd been changed back. He reached forward and pulled my back to his front. I guess he was feeling the same way at the moment. I looked back towards the plane but saw my father walking towards me, Croft right behind him. Luka and Eddie moved to either side of Dimitri and I.

" Kiz, Belikov."

I hugged my dad and then looked behind him. No one else was coming.

" Where's Moore? And where's mom?"

I'd kind of wanted to see my mom too. I thought she'd be here since she was dad's Guardian.

" That piece of filth is handcuffed to a seat with his own personal jailer." He said pointing behind him at the plane.

" And mom?" I repeated.

" Your mom is back at Court, she had to stay with Vika. Olena is on her way with Pavel but they couldn't get here before we had to leave." My father said reluctantly.

" What happened to Vika?" I was scared to know. I didn't know much about pregnancy but I knew sometimes there were complications.

" She had a little scare two nights ago, the baby is fine they just want her to stay in bed until her next check up in a month. It's just a precaution." I nodded and felt both myself and Dimitri relax. I turned to Guardian Croft who had been staring at me intently.

" Well what would you like to know?" I asked point blank.

" First I want to know why you thought escaping was a good idea when you could have asked to see me with the information you had." He said placidly.

" Because you and everyone else had already decided I was guilty, and why would I think you would believe me? Next Question!" I stated.

" Fair enough. Second why would you take a Royal Moroi and an Alchemist into the home of a Strigoi?" He asked surprisingly still calm.

I handed him Tatiana's letter and he read it quietly.

" Next Question!" I said when it was clear he was finished and had handed the letter back.

" Where is Natasha Ozera?"

I don't think any one of us missed the fact that her title had been dropped. My father didn't really look surprised though.

" How do I know you actually believe me?" I asked trying to sound calm.

" I saw the footage where Ethan Moore stopped on his way back to your cell so that Natasha could talk to you. I checked with the Guardians that were supposed to switch out at shift change with him, and they informed me that he'd refused to switch or let anyone see you. He then disappeared after Natasha had hours to get away from Court.

It seems your father found him perfectly fine though. And the beating he's taken is quite bad, but I suppose that could be overlooked considering the circumstances."

I couldn't believe the luck. I thought for sure I'd be rearrested or shot on site, despite what I had led everyone else to believe.

" It seems Ethan is more afraid of Guardian Croft than me, because as soon as I brought him in he spilled quite a bit of information. He took the footage of Tasha entering and exiting the Queens bedchambers at the time of the murder. Although he gave it to her. He really isn't very bright. I would have kept it as a safety net."

My father the criminal no one could pin anything on.

" Miss Sage, Mr. Ivashkov, and you Belikov. I asked the three of you to do only one thing. I know my daughter does things her own way, but I thought with the three of you against her, she wouldn't get her way. It appears I was wrong."

I rolled my eyes he was laying it on thick here, and I knew he wasn't even remotely serious.

" Baba leave them alone, you know damn well I would have done this anyway. And going up against a Strigoi solo is a sure way to get killed." Although I'd done it plenty, but I had a point to prove here.

" I needed answers, we saved her soul, and now I need Eddie to go with Adrian, Sydney and Sonya." I said pointing to the three of them. " I guess Mikhail too since he finally has her back and I can't be the one to separate them."

Guardian Croft looked at each of us and then asked us the question none of could answer, aside from Sonya herself.

" Do you know who Eric Dragomir's illegitimate child is?"

" No we don't but Sonya Karp does and while she promised not to ever tell who it was, she never promised not to lead someone there." Sydney spoke up

He looked uneasy about this but I didn't really care about his thoughts. Eddie and Mikhail could handle any threat and I trusted Sydney, Adrian, and even Sonya to get this done. I guess Guardian Croft could see he'd already lost here and decided to just let it go.

I pulled Eddie aside who looked completely lost, and explained everything to him. He was shocked, but who the hell wouldn't be?

" Wow Rose you're on the run for a murder you didn't commit and manage to find a kid no one knew existed, save the soul of an old teacher, and find the person who framed you. All we did was drive to a dead end, and watch your dad beat Moore and make sure he didn't kill him."

Yeah that was a job in itself, making sure Abe didn't go too far. And I pointed out I didn't find the lost Dragomir. I had no idea who it was. He would know before me.

" How are Christian and Vika really?"

Eddie looked behind him at my father who was talking to Dimitri and Guardian Croft.

" He didn't want you to worry and I'll probably look like Moore when he finds out I told you, but you should know. Vika started bleeding really bad and we rushed her to the doctors office at Court. The baby's heart was barely beating and Vika was losing it, the baby and her mind, Christian called Lissa and she came right away. She healed whatever was going on but the Doctor wants Vika in bed and they're making daily house calls."

I was glad everything was okay now. Lissa had healed Vika even though it was her ex boyfriends baby! She really had gotten better as a person. I would have to thank her. I thanked Eddie for telling me the truth and promised Abe would never know. We walked back to everyone else.

" What were you two off whispering about?" Dimitri asked with a smile. I told him I was just filling Eddie in on all the details of the trip he was about to take. Everyone seemed satisfied with the answer I gave.

" Now where is Natasha Ozera little girl."

My father had that don't bullshit me tone. I hated how he could make me feel like a little kid with it.

" She's at St. Vladimir's Academy. In an old Guardian Cabin near the ward line. My guess is she snuck in because she stayed there over Christmas, and she knows no one patrols there. Students don't go that far from the school. She could hide there for months and no one would know. Of course I don't know what she's doing in the blood department."

It was something I'd been curious about. She'd either found a personal feeder or robbed a blood bank. Or she would be a ravenous basket case when we found her.

With all of the information out in the open Guardian Croft called Alberta. He advised her not to send a patrol out by the cabin as we didn't want her to become suspicious. He told her roughly what time we would be there and for her to get a few Guardians ready to surround the place when we got there. He wanted this to be quick and effortless. Me I wanted Tasha to suffer a bit.

We said goodbye to Adrian, Sydney, Sonya, Eddie and Mikhail as they loaded up in Sydney's car to get Lissa's brother or sister. And then we loaded up on my father's plane.

The first thing that I noticed when I stepped on was the Guardian who had initially arrested me.

The second thing was Ethan Moore. Half of his face was swollen and a deep purple and blue. My father had really done a number on him. He watched me through one eye as I passed by him.

And then Dimitri stepped on and all hell broke loose. He jerked Ethan up by the collar of his shirt so hard it was surprising his arm didn't rip from his body and hang from the seat where he was cuffed.

" You and Natasha nearly took her away from me again. And for what? Did you not wonder why she decided to frame Rose the minute she found out Rose was alive? Did that not seem strange to you? Did it make you feel special? You're lucky Abe got you and not me. You don't deserve to live."

He was yelling at Ethan and I'm pretty sure the man was about to piss his pants. My father looked pleased, the Guardian beside Ethan was trying to figure out what he should do against the 6'7" angry Russian. I looked at Luka silently pleading with him to stop this.

" Come on Belikov he isn't worth it. Look just go hold your girl okay. She doesn't need to see you like this."

The whole time Luka was talking Dimitri never took his eyes off of Ethan. But finally he lowered him back down into the chair. The man was visibly shaking finally back in his seat. The Guardian beside him sat back down since the threat to his prisoner was over. My father looked a bit disappointed, and if I was a betting man I'd say Croft did too.

Dimitri came and sat beside me and I nestled into him. I was still tired from the past two days and I felt like a nap would be a good idea.

" Looks like we'll get to see your mom sooner than we thought." I said while yawning. Dimitri smiled down at me and gave me a kiss.

" Yes Roza we will. Now get some rest."

I closed my eyes and fell asleep instantly. The last thing I felt was Dimitri placing a kiss on the top of my head.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

_**Chapter Sixteen **_

Well as it turns out this was not going to be quick and effortless. Stan had been arguing with Alberta and Guardian Croft for fifteen minutes now. He didn't think we should trust information gathered from a spirit dream. The man hadn't changed at all. In my opinion he was still an idiot. I wished they'd sent him to sit with Moore in the cells.

My phone which my father had given me when we'd arrived here started to buzz. Stan looked over and glared at me as I answered it. I glared right back.

" Little Dhampir"

Adrian said before I could even say hello. He sounded tired but excited. Stan was back to arguing only now Dimitri had joined in and it was three against one. I rolled my eyes because they were wasting time.

" What's up?" I said.

" It's a girl! Lissa has a sister." He said excitedly.

Holy Shit! It had only taken us like four hours to get here, and we'd been here about an hour and a half getting Moore settled and Stan arguing. I thought I would hear from them tomorrow at the earliest.

" What's her name?" I asked

" Jillian!"

Well it wasn't someone we knew I guess. I couldn't recall any Jillian.

" It's Jillian Mastrano, as in jail bait Rose."

I sat forward in my seat. Holy shit this wouldn't be good. Lissa had disliked that poor girl when we were here at school. But we could deal with that right?

" Well is there any more shocking news?" I asked quietly.

" Not really, but we are on our way to the Academy. She is going to go to Court, but we thought it should wait until you were there also."

Yeah that would be best. Lissa and I weren't close anymore but I could break the news of this to her better than anyone else could. Adrian said they would be here by tomorrow and we got off the phone.

No one was paying attention to me so I slipped out the open door. They were all getting on my nerves. It wasn't any of their lives on the line here. If we didn't find Tasha Ozera and bring her in, my charges would stay and I'd be sentenced to death. It didn't matter what they knew, or that Ethan Moore had spilled the beans. My father had held him hostage for days and beaten him. The Council would use that against me instead of believing a Royal Moroi could possibly do such a horrid act.

I found myself frustrated and heading straight for the cabin. I knew I shouldn't, but I wanted so badly to just be free again. Before I lost my nerve I kicked the door to the cabin open.

It was dark inside as I stood in the doorway. But I could see just fine with the sunlight streaming in behind me. There was a man laying on the floor, he had bite marks on his neck and arms. He was still alive as I could see the slight rise and fall of his chest.

And standing in the corner by the bed was Tasha and she had a gun aimed at me. I could see now I'd made the wrong choice here.

" Hello Rose. I won't say it's nice to see you again, because it's not." She said nastily.

I thought about turning around and running, but figured she had no problems shooting me in the back or lighting my ass on fire. It could really go either way here, so I stayed put.

" I was so hoping the Guardians would have found you and shot you. Is Dimka here with you?" She seemed so happy at the thought of me being shot and seeing Dimitri.

" No one knows I'm here."

It wasn't a lie, they didn't know I was stupid enough to come out here alone. It wouldn't take Dimitri long to figure it out though.

" How did you find me? I know Ethan didn't tell your father or Lissa because he didn't even know. Lissa thought she was fooling me. Did your father kill him?"

She was getting excited at the thought of Ethan being dead. I started to feel a little bad for him. He'd loved her and he was just a pawn in her twisted game. She was ruining so many lives here. Ethan at the very least would spend the rest of his life in a cell. Queen Tatiana had lost her life. Adrian had lost the only family who cared for him. I could have been put to death, that would have killed Dimitri emotionally. It pissed me off that this, none of it, even bothered her.

"Didn't you know, Ethan Moore isn't dead. Sure he looks like shit right now, but he is very much alive. And he sang like a canary when Croft got a hold of him."

The twisted smile disappeared and I let out a cold laugh. Two could play her game here.

" You're lying." She said quietly.

" Am I? Tell me what did you do with the tape of you going in and out of Tatiana's bedchambers at the time of her murder?"

She let out a screech and started pacing back and forth. I should have taken the time to run, but instead I moved a few steps into the cabin. She focused back onto me and there was this crazy glint in her eyes. The full force of my stupidity hit me as I realized she would probably kill me here. I just prayed Dimitri knew how much I really did love him and that he would be okay.

" You should have stayed dead Rose. No one missed you at all. Sure Dimitri said a few hurtful things to me, but he would have come around. The plan was to kill the Queen and Ethan take the fall for it. I could play the hurt and confused girlfriend. Dimitri would have wanted to rescue me and we would have lived happily ever after.

But then here you come, back from the dead and take him from me again. So the plan changed and once he saw you for the murderous bitch you were, I could save him. All I had to do was wait until you were convicted and put to death."

She was pacing back and forth again and swinging the gun around. I moved towards the unconscious man on the floor. I felt he needed some sort of protection here.

" That wouldn't have worked Tasha, he doesn't love you. You can't force someone to care for you. You could have had a good life with Ethan. He truly loves you. He covered up your crimes not knowing why you ever did it in the first place. You could have been a mom to his and your children. You could have had your happy ending with him."

She was staring at me with such hatred.

" I don't want Ethan don't you get it! He isn't my Dimka. You should have stayed away. It doesn't matter anyway."

She started pacing yet again.

" He isn't your Dimka. Dimitri and I fell in love and that's just the way it is. You don't even know the things I've done because I love him."

She stopped and glared at me again. I just needed to keep her talking. Surely someone would have noticed I was gone by now. Dimitri would know to come here. He would know I was this crazy.

" What have you done? You could have ruined his reputation while here at the Academy. And then when he was turned you left to try your hand at being a blood whore. I can see the scar on your neck from here. How did that help Dimka? Does he know what a slut you are?"

It seems Lissa could still keep my secrets. If I make it out of here we really need to sit and have a conversation.

" I went after him Tasha. I was Dimitri's blood whore. He captured me and I let him feed from me. I went to Russia to free his soul. It was a promise we had made to one another. You claim you love him, but what did you do? Sit down and cry for a few days? I left my best friend to go hunt down and kill the only man I would ever love."

" Well you couldn't even do that right." She spat back at me.

" No and thank God for that because I found a way to bring him back. And with Lissa and Christians help Dimitri got a second chance at life."

She stopped moving and looked directly at me once again. I felt like this was it.

" None of this matters Rose. If I can't have him I don't want him with anyone. I can't stand the thought of him touching you the way he should be touching me. You can't even give him a family."

Yeah I knew this. It was something I hated and something Dimitri and I had talked about. I should have known Tasha would throw it in my face.

" We can adopt a child who has no one."

I said it for my own hurt feelings, but she became enraged by the statement. The look of anger, hurt, and plain hatred played across her face.

Several things happened after that...

Tasha aimed her gun at me again, a sick smile on her face.

Dimitri barreled through the door of the cabin, Luka right behind him.

The gun fired and I waited to feel the bite of the bullet. But it never came. I'd had my eyes squeezed shut and when I opened them I thought my heart would stop.

Dimitri had jumped in front of me and took the bullet that was meant to end my life. He fell in front of me and I fell to my knees. I put my hands to the wound trying to put pressure and stop the bleeding. Tasha was screaming as Luka threw her down and hand cuffed her.

Alberta, Stan, Croft, and my father came in and stopped dead in their tracks.

" Comrade it's okay we'll get you to the clinic. Just hang on please."

There was so much blood I didn't know if we could get him to the clinic before he bled out. Alberta had Tasha now. Stan, Luka, and Croft came over to help with Dimitri. I looked back down at him and noticed he was losing color faster now.

" Help me get him to the Clinic. Now!" I screeched.

The three of them helped pick Dimitri up while I awkwardly kept pressure on his wound.

" Roza I love you" He whispered having a hard time breathing.

" Don't do that Dimitri. I love you but that sounds like you're giving up. You'll be fine. I love you so much."

We made it to the clinic and Dr. Olendski was waiting for us. Celeste came running with a file.

" This is his old file. Blood Type and all is in there." She said out of breath.

We got him on the gurney and he was gone. I looked down to see my hands and clothes covered in his blood. Alberta was holding a crying Tasha up. She was trying to drop to the floor like a toddler throwing a fit. This was her fucking fault.

I walked over to her and punched her in the face. It knocked her backwards and Alberta lost her hold on her. When she hit the floor I jumped on her hitting her over and over. Someone pulled me off of her and I hit them too. Luka stumbled backwards and then grabbed me again. Tasha was sitting up blood coming from her nose and mouth. Her nose was definitely broken.

" If he dies I will kill you, you fucking bitch." I screamed.

The nurse behind the desk came over and looked at Tasha's face. She told Alberta her injuries could wait and Tasha was taken to a room and handcuffed to the bed. A Guardian I didn't know went to keep watch on her. Yuri and Celeste had brought her other victim in shortly after that. They gave him fluids and someone would have to compel him as he was human.

* * *

It had been hours and no one had come to talk with us. I had called Adrian several times urging them to hurry. I needed someone to heal Dimitri, but they were still five or six hours away.

I was about to lose my mind when I noticed my father sit up straight. Dr. Olendski was coming down the hall. I stood up but couldn't move more than that.

" Rose I need to speak with you."


	17. Chapter SeventeenEpilogue

_**Chapter Seventeen/Epilogue **_

" No Liss put the bear on the dresser. Good now everything is perfect." I said looking around the room.

Vika and Christian would be home any minute with baby Alexander. We had moved to Portland four months ago. My father had given me the key to the safe house along with the deed. Christian and Vika had sold his parents house and bought the house next door. After every one found out the truth of what Tasha had done Christian decided living in that house just wasnt worth the looks he kept getting. They didnt want their son raised around that.

Lissa had decided after finding out about Jill that she wanted to get to know her sister rather than be our next Monarch. Jill was at school and Eddie became her Guardian. Lissa lived with us too. Her and Luka had started a relationship and he was her Guardian now as well. When the news of their romance broke a lot of Royals shunned her, but for once she didn't care at all. We weren't friends like we once were, but we were well on our way.

" They're here!"

My mom shouted from downstairs. Her and my father had come for the birth. They had been traveling quite a bit the last two months so I was happy to have some time with them. Lissa and I ran downstairs as Dimitri carried the baby carrier in and Christian and Olena helped Vika.

Dimitri got Alexander out of his carrier and started murmuring in Russian. I watched with a huge smile on my face. It was a miracle I still had him here with me. I will never forget that day.

* * *

" I need to speak with you Rose." Dr. Olendski said

I couldn't seem to get my legs to move so my father walked me to where she was standing. I couldn't speak. I knew something was wrong, she looked too grim for everything to be okay.

" The bullet went into his heart at an angle. It tore through it and lodged in his left lung. We got it out, but he lost a lot of blood. He also lost oxygen to his brain. He's in a coma and I don't know when he'll wake up. Or if he will at all."

I felt like I couldn't breath, my heart felt like it would stop right then. My knees buckled and my father caught me before I hit the floor. After everything we had made it through, this is how it would end?

Dr. Olendski was talking but I couldn't understand her. It was like I was under water, my emotions were drowning me. My father said something to her and then they were taking me down the hall. I walked into his room and there were so many tubes. Someone had put a chair next to the bed and that's where I sat for a week.

Adrian and Sonya had healed him when they got there, but he couldn't or wouldn't come out of the coma.

Finally after seven of the longest days of my life, Dimitri opened his eyes. I had instantly turned into a blubbering mess of tears and kisses.

* * *

" Roza do you want to hold him?"

Dimitri was watching me as Olena tried handing me my sweet nephew. I hadn't realized he was being passed around. I smiled and cradled his tiny body in my arms. Dimitri walked over and wrapped me and Alexander in his own arms.

" What were you thinking about Roza?" he whispered.

" I was thinking about how I almost lost you. I was thinking I'm very lucky to have you here. We all are lucky."

He placed a kiss to the top of my head and we just smiled at the little bundle in my arms.

We all stayed for a while longer and then went to mine and Dimitri's house. Olena was staying with them to help Vika since Christian was going through the process of Opening his own restaurant.

I just worked from home, which reminded me of the paper work I hadn't done yet. It could wait one more day.

As soon as we walked though the door my phone started ringing. I looked at the I.d. to see it was Guardian Croft. I had known this call would be coming.

" Hathaway" I said answering.

" I'm sorry to bother you but Natasha's trial has finally been set. We will need you and Belikov for sure. But I don't think we will need your father this time."

I had to laugh. At the proceedings to start the process of a trial for Tasha, my father had been asked to take the stand. They'd asked him how he found out what Moore knew. Abe being Abe went into detail only for everyone to find out he hadn't gotten a thing out of him. I think the Council was too scared to do anything to the man so no one pressed any charge on the beating he'd dished out.

" Just let us know when and we will be there." I said respectfully.

He told me the date which was five weeks from today and we said our goodbyes.

I was feeling tired so I went to nap while Dimitri fixed dinner for us all. I felt the familiar pull of a Spirit dream.

" Hello little dhampir. I heard Vika had little Alexander. How are they?"

" She is doing great and he is perfect. How's the research coming along?"

Adrian, Sydney, Sonya and Mikhail were at St. Vladimir's trying to figure out the cure to bringing back a Strigoi and how it works afterwards. If you were changed back from being a Strigoi then that was it, you couldn't be turned again. The goal was to figure it out and use that against the undead we faced.

" Um we're still trying a few things." he said.

" How's Sydney?"

The alchemists agreed this was a good enough cause to send one of their own to one of our schools. It gave Adrian and Sydney the perfect cover for their relationship while they figured out what was next for them.

" She is doing good, we're great." he said happily.

I smiled because my friend had finally found his other half. I told him about the call I had received from Guardian Croft and he asked me how I felt about seeing Tasha again. Honestly I felt uneasy about it. I felt she needed help but she also needed to pay for the crimes she had committed. I just needed it to be over.

Adrian was studying me or my aura and the widest smile lit up his face. He told me he had to go but would be in touch soon. And then I was left to my own dreams.

I woke up to someone softly shaking me. Lissa was sitting on the bed next to where I was laying. It was dark outside and I could hear the rain hitting the window.

" Hey sleepy head" She said while laughing. " I didn't think you would ever wake up."

I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. One look at the clock told me I'd been out for just over two hours. I still felt drained and exhausted though. It was weird.

" Sorry I have no idea why I've been so tired."

She gave me an are you serious look.

" It's been a rough several months for us all. Your body is just trying to catch up." she said in way of an explanation.

I nodded. What she said made perfect sense, but I couldn't help to think there was something else. She was probably right though.

" So how are you and Luka doing?" I asked wanting to talk about anything but the shit we'd been through.

" Oh Rose, I didn't think I would find anyone after Christian. I'd settled for Aaron again because the Council said I had to have someone. But Luka is so amazing. He is so sweet and caring. I'm so in love with him. And I'm happy Christian found Vika. They're perfect for one another and I just can't get over little Alexander." She said with a loving smile.

" Remember Liss you made sure that little boy made it into this world. I know we've all thanked you for that before, but seriously thank you again."

Lissa leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back effortlessly.

" I missed this. I missed you." She whispered.

" I did too Liss, I did too." I whispered back and getting a little teary eyed.

We went downstairs and I found Dimitri in the dining room going over some of my paperwork. We had gone into business together. We bought and fixed up houses to sell around Portland and surrounding areas. Dimitri and Luka would do the heavy work while Lissa, Vika, and I did the decorating. I did the selling though because I was licensed to do it.

" There is a plate of lasagna for you in the fridge." He said while looking over the plans for the house we recently acquired. It needed a lot of work, but the boys wanted the challenge.

I took the plate out and heated it up. Sitting down next to Dimitri I dug in while also looking at what needed to be done. I'll say this when we were done with this one I wanted to go on Vacation. I finished my food and put the plate in the sink. When I sat back down I started signing off on things that needed to be done already. It wasn't long before I was yawning again. That was when my parents walked in the front door and straight into the dining room.

Olena followed behind them. My father dropped some papers on the table between Dimitri and I.

" What's this?" I asked

" This is some research Sonya and Sydney have been doing." He said matter of fact.

Then my mom dropped a brown paper bag on the table. I looked at it and then her.

" And this?" I said pointing to the bag.

" You're going to go take this." My mom said.

I opened the bag as Dimitri looked at the research. There was a pregnancy test in the bag. I felt angry and hurt all at the same time. Was this a joke?

" This isn't funny at all. This is just hurtful." I said holding back the tears that had started to form.

" Roza go take the test." Dimitri said staring wide eyed at the paper. The way he said it left no room for arguments.

A tear slipped down my cheek as I walked to the bathroom. The only way this test would say anything but negative was if I'd cheated. And I would never do that.

I peed on the test anyway and as I waited the three minutes Dimitri came in and handed me a sheet of paper.

'_Our research shows a Dhampir healed with Spirit or brought back from the undead with Spirit can reproduce with another Dhampir.' _

I read the line over and over and when the timer on my phone beeped I lunged for the test.

Positive!

I handed it to Dimitri and a huge smile spread across his face.

" We're going to have a baby!" He yelled to the world. I was crying tears of complete joy now. " I guess we mutated." He whispered to me and I laughed.

When we came out of the bathroom Olena and my parents were standing there smiling and crying. Olena hugged her son and then me.

" I'm so happy for you both." She said

" Kiz I guess this is a good time to tell you that your mother and I are moving in down the road. Pavel and Keaton are closing everything up in Turkey. That will be our vacation house now." My father said proudly.

I couldn't have been happier. Being surrounded by my family and friends was almost the best feeling ever. The absolute best was our baby though.

* * *

Dimitri and I had stayed up talking all night and now we were walking through Portland. I was lost in my own world imagining what our child would look like. Whether we would have a son or a daughter. We had stopped walking though and I took in our surroundings.

In front of us was the building Lissa and I had lived in while we were here. I turned back to look at Dimitri but he was on one knee in front of me.

" This is where I saw you for the first time. I was told you were a high strung rule breaker. You were but you were also dedicated, more so than anyone I know. I knew you would just be the death of me. Instead you've been my life, and you always will be. I love you Roza, will you be my wife!"

I nodded as he slipped the diamond on my ring finger.

I looked around and realized while we were back where we started years ago, we were better for everything we had gone through. We had left our world behind us for the most part, we had family and friends. And most importantly we had each other.

**_The End_**


End file.
